Tenderness to You
by WiNtEr-sToRm-oF-iCe
Summary: Inu is a prince, Kag is a mermaid and the Princess of the Sea... Inu has kept Kag a secret his whole life, so has she. One lives on land, the other, the sea. What will the heart do to protect the one it loves? Change over time... InuKag R
1. Chapter 1

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Summary:  
  
Inuyasha and Sesshomaru are princes of a powerful Kingdom that rules over their world, and Sesshomaru, being the oldest, is heir to the thrown. The royal palace is located on the coast of a large lake, which dumps into the Great Ocean. The castle overlooks a magnificent city, rich with commerce.  
  
This story opens when both boys are very young; Sesshomaru has royal duties to fulfill and has no free time. Inuyasha on the other hand, is bored and loves to sneak away from his duties and explore the palace grounds.  
  
One day he happens to be wandering the beach and walks onto the royal dock. Swimming underwater nearby is a young mermaid named Kagome... and so our story begins.  
  
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A young version of Sesshomaru stood looking out a massive, glass window that looked out onto an even greater city, with long, winding market streets, tall homes, and small shops and stores. He was dressed in royal clothing and stood with his hands elegantly placed behind his back. His decorum, posture, and physique were perfect.  
  
To his right, standing on his toes, stood a young hanyou, he too glared out of the window but his eyes barley came above the windowsill. He too was dressed in royal clothing, but not quite elaborate as his brothers.  
  
"Look at that, Inuyasha. Isn't it amazing?" Sesshomaru asked his little brother.  
  
"It looks small." Inuyasha said in a little voice.  
  
"It only looks small because we are so high up." Sesshomaru answered.  
  
"It's still small, and too brown." Inuyasha said.  
  
Sesshomaru turned his eyes down to his little brother, and briefly smiled.  
  
"And what do you suppose we do about that Inuyasha?" he questioned jokingly.  
  
"Color it." Inuyasha said, he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a few broken crayons, and showed them to his brother with big, hopeful, golden eyes.  
  
"Do you really expect to color the whole city with those few crayons?" Sesshomaru said, ruffling Inuyasha hair.  
  
"No..." Inuyasha said, under his messed up tresses. "The city would have to shrink even more for me to color it."  
  
"Cities can't shrink smaller, Inuyasha, they can only grow." Sesshomaru said. "And do you know what makes them grow?"  
  
"Daddy?" Inuyasha asked.  
  
"That's right. And not just Father, members of his court and warriors."  
  
"But, mostly Daddy right?" Inuyasha asked.  
  
"Yes, mostly Daddy." Sesshomaru answered.  
  
There was a short pause before either of them spoke again.  
  
"Wanna go play Sesshie?" Inuyasha asked.  
  
"No." Sesshomaru answered.  
  
Inuyasha began to pout. "Why not Sesshie?" he asked.  
  
"Because heirs don't play." He answered.  
  
"Oh... then what do heirs do?" Inuyasha asked.  
  
"We learn." Sesshomaru answered.  
  
"Aren't you allowed to have any fun?" Inuyasha asked.  
  
"No. We, I mean...I, have duties to uphold. I must be there to help father, and learn from his reign, on how to be a good king."  
  
"Oh... is it fun?" Inuyasha asked.  
  
"It's duty." Sesshomaru answered.  
  
"Seems silly." Inuyasha said.  
  
"It's called responsibility, something that you SHOULD be aware of by now." Sesshomaru said. He looked down at Inuyasha who ducked his head in shame and gave a soft whine.  
  
"You have been going to your classes haven't you Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru asked impatiently.  
  
Inuyasha pretended to be looking at something more interesting on the floor.  
  
"ANSWER ME!" Sesshomaru said with a roar.  
  
Inuyasha jumped at his brother's sudden change in attitude. His eyes grew wide and he almost started to cry.  
  
Sesshomaru saw that he had made his brother almost cry, and turned his back to Inuyasha. "I swear, Inuyasha, you can be such a baby at times, I guess it's the human blood in you."  
  
This only made Inuyasha cry more, "That's not true! I'm just as strong as you! You'll see... one day I'll be FULL demon... just you wait and see..." his tiny voice trailed off as Sesshomaru gave his a shove that sent him flying across the room.  
  
After Sesshomaru pushed Inuyasha he caught himself and relaxed. He closed his eyes and made his hands into fists. "You're pathetic." He said, half to himself, and then walked out of the room.  
  
Inuyasha picked himself up, and rose back to his feet. He rubbed his head, and whimpered. Inuyasha then left the room through a different door, and began to search for door that would lead him outside. All of Sesshomaru's hot air had made the room unbearable to stay in.  
  
He soon forgot about Sesshomaru's attitude as he tried to hide from the maids and attendants around the palace. He had made it down to the South Wing without being seen. This wing was where the servants stayed, away from the royal family. It was a fun place to explore, because every door led to a different kind of room. And they were so small and pale, not at all lavish and bright like the other Wing's of the palace.  
  
Finally, Inuyasha saw a servant come through a doorway that led to the outside. After the coast was clear, he snuck threw the door, and out into the warm sunlight.  
  
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About a mile or so off the coast, underneath the rolling waves of the Great Ocean, beneath depths of water unable to be reached while holding one's breath; stood another lavish palace. This palace was equally as grand as the palace on land. Yet this palace stood alone, not surrounded by a city. It was almost mistaken as a large rock, because that's all it really was. Just adorned with pieces of multi-colored corals and tropical fishes.  
  
Fish that produced their own light swam along the walls, acting as torches. Creatures of the deep swam freely in and out of the palace, making it seem always full of activity.  
  
But certainly, the most splendid of all these things were the fabulous swimmers playing among the palace walls with other sea creatures. Laughter rang out as young merfolk played an underwater version of tag.  
  
A younger mermaid approached them; she wore a blue coral headband, which was worn like a crown. The group continued to play; not noticing that she had swam up.  
  
The young mermaid was Princess Kagome. She had beautiful, dark brown hair and a dark purple colored fin, which had flicks of green throughout it.  
  
She was now attempting, again, to fit in among the local people.  
  
Finally, when the group stopped chasseing each other, and took a rest for all the excitement. She approached them and asked the group, very sweetly, "Hi, can I play?"  
  
"Ummm... sure...I guess..." said a merman, with short blonde hair.  
  
A bunch of giggles arose behind him from the group.  
  
"What?!?" he said back to them.  
  
A mermaid with light brown hair and a pink fin whispered something to him. He blushed and looked at the newcomer, with a shy smile.  
  
He gave a low, quick bow and the rest followed him.  
  
"Forgive me Princess Kagome, for I did not recognize you."  
  
Kagome hated being called "Princess Kagome," she just wanted to be normal Kagome. She looked upon the faces of the group; they all looked scared of her.  
  
"Can I, please, play?" she asked again.  
  
The group began to murmur and talk amongst themselves.  
  
"Uhhh...well... it's... just...umm...we..." the blonde haired merman said.  
  
"We are afraid of the wrath of your father!" the pink mermaid snapped. Then the whole group busted out with laughter.  
  
Kagome frowned and the laughter instantly stopped.  
  
Kagome hated this. Her father was not a mean man, he just cared allot, especially about her.  
  
Before Kagome could say anything more, the group swam off in different directions, and disappeared.  
  
Kagome sighed. 'Why can't I just be a normal mermaid?' She though to herself, 'People make things so hard.'  
  
One of Kagome's attendants swam up behind her, "Did you meet any new friends, Princess?"  
  
Kagome turned around and flashed a fake smile and spoke happily to the attendant, "Oh yes, I have so many I can hardy keep up with them all. We are all playing tag... and I'm 'it', so let me go out and find them all now."  
  
"Well that's good Lady Kagome; your Father will be pleased that you have made so many friends." The attendant said with a bright smile.  
  
"Yes, of course." Kagome answered, her cheeks hurt from smiling so hard.  
  
"Then let me leave you to your little game, and go get 'em Princess; you don't want them to get too much of a head start now, do you?" remarked the attendant as she gave a slight bow and swam back to her post.  
  
Kagome held her smile until the attendant was far enough away. Then she let it fall, and she sighed again.  
  
Kagome turned and swam off, she wanted to get away from everybody and just be by herself. She hoped that no one noticed that she had swum off in a different direction them the group had.  
  
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Hello everyone, ok next chapter Kagome and Inuyasha meet. I think I have come up with a cute way for them to meet... chapter 2 coming soon... oh and don't forget to R&R if you like this story!! more to come!! 


	2. Chapter 2

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Author's Note: Hello to Everyone, I've had a busy very week (AP U.S. History is a pain in the (_ /_ )... and I've hardly had time to write... but here is another chapter... Happy Reading!!  
  
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Chapter 2  
  
Young Inuyasha wandered outside among the lines of clothing, hung up to dry in the hot sun. The many bed sheets and towels made him feel like he was in a white maze, and their clean, fresh sent was tingling his nose.  
  
Inuyasha finally grew bored with the laundry and pushed his way threw until he found an exit.  
  
When he came out of the waving sheets he noticed that he was standing on a high dune that led down to large, blue lake and the royal beach.  
  
Inuyasha's little legs carried him down the rocky dune and he happened upon the sandy beach of the lake. When Inuyasha looked out over the water he could see the natural harbor that the lake made. The beach curved in a half moon shape, until it was split by a ten foot segment of water, which led out to the Great Ocean.  
  
Little Inuyasha enjoyed the simplicity of the lake, as it curved out and into the violent ocean. The water was smooth and flat today, and Inuyasha could see the reflection of his palace in the water.  
  
Inuyasha walked slowly along the beach, picking up small, flat stones that stuck out of the sand. Soon the picking up of stones became a game to him; and he searched for the flattest and prettiest of them all.  
  
Soon his pockets were full of stones, and Inuyasha felt weighed down. One by one, he took the stones out of his pockets and began to skip them along the surface of the lake. Each stone flew farther than the next, and Inuyasha was fascinated by this fun game.  
  
He ran along the beach throwing stone after stone into the water. Then, he came upon the royal dock that stretched a two hundred feet off the coast. Inuyasha had a great idea to throw the stones off of the dock and filled his pockets again with even more stones. A few spilled out of his pockets as he ran along the wooden planks of the dock.  
  
When he reached the end of the dock he sat to rest and looked down into the water below him. A familiar image of himself stared back up at him in the green-blue water. He made funny faces at his refection, and the refection made the same funny faces back at him. Inuyasha laughed at himself. Then he remembered the stones that filled his pockets. He dumped them all out on the dock and separated them by color, size, and shape. He chose the ugliest stone to throw first, saving the prettiest for last.  
  
"Ok, you first..." he said out loud, as he threw the stone over the surface of the water.  
  
"Darn only three skips..." Inuyasha said, as he reached down for another stone.  
  
Each stone sailed along the water, before disappearing among the surface.  
  
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Kagome swam and swam until her very muscles ached, yet she still didn't feel like she was totally far enough away from her world. She hated being the center of attention to the royal family, and nothing but a rich, little girl to the outside world.  
  
Rays of sunlight struck the surface of the water and created beams of yellowish white light under the water. Kagome realized that she was swimming very close to the surface.  
  
The water depth grew shallower and shallower until Kagome had to turn into deeper water, or she would have beached herself.  
  
Suddenly she saw an inlet between the beaches that was deep, and wide enough to swim through. The space led into a natural, deep harbor. Kagome smiled to herself, 'This is new! Oh what an adventure...' She swam through the inlet and into the harbor.  
  
The water was a bluer and clearer then the deep waters of the palace. She liked this place and wondered if anyone else knew about it.  
  
As she swam around the edge, keeping the beach parallel she saw a huge long shadow in the water. The shadow had many long legs that stretched from the surface of the water to the sandy bottom. She was scared at first, but only at first; as she swam closer to the shadow its true form began to take shape.  
  
"Oh," Kagome said out loud, "it's a dock... and a very big dock."  
  
Then suddenly she stopped. 'Wait,' she thought, 'a dock means...Land Creatures!'  
  
Kagome could here her father's voice in the back of her head, telling her about the bad creatures that lived upon the land. Kagome feared the land, almost as much as she feared the sun.  
  
The sun meant death to any mercreature, its hot rays could dry out your scales in no time, and you would wither away into nothing but a pile of dust. And being on land meant, no water; and then you would be at the mercy of the sun.  
  
Kagome shook the thoughts out of her head. 'As long as I stay underwater, I'll be fine.' She convinced herself. So she began swimming again towards the dock.  
  
The shadow of the dock soon captured her, and she now was underneath it.  
  
Kagome ran her fingers over the wooden posts that held the dock up. They were so thick that if she hugged one, her fingers would not touch each other.  
  
Kagome followed the post until she was about two feet away from the surface of the water. The post continued higher than the waters surface. This meant that there was an area to hide under the dock, and not be underwater.  
  
Kagome stuck her head up through the water and almost bumped her head on the top of the dock. Between the wooden boards she could see cracks of sunlight. She pulled herself up and tried to look through the small crack, but she saw nothing.  
  
Suddenly, Kagome heard a thumping noise, and the dock shook slightly. The noise grew louder and louder before Kagome realized what it was.  
  
'A land creature!' Kagome was too slow to pull her head back down under the water before the thumping was right above her head, then as quickly as it had come it disappeared and continued on down the dock.  
  
Kagome felt silly, the creature couldn't have seen her anyway; why did she get scared?  
  
Her curiosity was killing her; she had never been this close to a land creature. She wondered what it looked like.  
  
Images of a creature with long, dripping fangs and sharp claws appeared in her mind. She shook them away. And quietly swam, with her mouth and nose submerged under the water, toward the end of the dock.  
  
When she reached the dock's end she could hear the land creature on the dock above her. The creature didn't say anything, only giggled a bit.  
  
Then Kagome heard a noise that sounded like a bunch of rocks had just hit the wooden boards. The pebbles scraped along the boards and she could barley hear a voice mumbling something to them.  
  
Kagome wondered what the creature was doing. She had never heard anything so strange before.  
  
Suddenly she heard a voice... a male voice... say, "Ok, you first."  
  
Kagome was puzzled, 'What first?' she thought.  
  
Then she heard one of the stones smack three times against the surface of the water, and then on the forth, it fell kerplunk under the water.  
  
Kagome heard the voice above her speak again, "Darn, only three skips."  
  
Kagome blushed. What is this creature doing? Then, again she heard the creature select a stone and then throw it at the water.  
  
Kagome pulled her head underwater and watched as the stone fell through the water and landed on the sand far below.  
  
Kagome was filled with a sense of playfulness. Without thinking twice, she swam out from under the dock towards the stone the creature had thrown in the water.  
  
She picked it up and looked at it; it seemed just like a normal rock.  
  
Suddenly she heard another kerplunk noise above her head, and another stone fell just a few feet beyond where the first one had fallen.  
  
Kagome swam over and picked up that stone too, and examined it, still nothing that important.  
  
With every stone that Inuyasha threw into the water, Kagome retrieved it. She placed all the stones in a pile and waited for the next one.  
  
Kagome couldn't help but giggle and laugh, this game amused her. She was having fun playing with a land creature.  
  
Just as quickly as the game had begun it stopped. Kagome waited and waited for more stones to fall down to her, but none came.  
  
Kagome was saddened by this; she wanted to continue to play. She swam back to the shadow of the dock, surfaced just slightly so that she could hear the creature and waited.  
  
The creature still stood on the dock, Kagome listened hard.  
  
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Inuyasha stood staring out at the water. He had thrown all his rocks into the water, and now there was nothing to do.  
  
Inuyasha shielded his eyes from the bright sunlight. The sunset looked really pretty, setting over the water.  
  
Wait...  
  
The...  
  
Sunset...!!  
  
"Oh crap!" Inuyasha said, "I'm late for dinner. Sesshomaru is gonna kill me!"  
  
Inuyasha turned on his heels and ran down the dock, back towards the palace, mumbling to himself, "I'm dead... I'm so dead!"  
  
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Kagome was startled when the creature started to talk again. Then she heard him run down the dock away from her.  
  
Kagome swam out from under the dock, and pulled her body up out of the water, just slightly so that she could see where the creature was going.  
  
All she could see was a faint outline of something, running on two legs along the edge of the beach. The creature ran so fast! Kagome was amazed.  
  
Kagome wished that she could see him again. Then suddenly she remembered something, "The rocks!"  
  
She splashed down underwater and found the pile she had collected that the creature had thrown.  
  
She carried them all back to the dock.  
  
Very carefully she laid them on the dock. Kagome realized that they were all very pretty. She could see why the creature liked them.  
  
Before she left, Kagome found a whole shell and placed it with the rocks. Kagome couldn't help smile to herself.  
  
'I won't tell anyone about you, you'll be my little secret...' she thought. And then she sank down beneath the waves, and swam back toward home.  
  
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I hope you enjoyed this chapter... Will Inuyasha return to the dock and find the rocks with Kagome's little gift?? Duh!! Of course... don't forget they are both very young... so I'm trying to write like I'm in the mind of a five year old... as time goes on... they will get older... I plan on bringing Kikyo (Kikyou, alternate spelling?) into the picture, as well as Naraku... : ) Don't forget to review... I love Reviews... they make me feel loved... ; ) 


	3. Chapter 3

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Hello again, I just wanted to say a quick hello to all my review-ies, when I got online today I saw that I had six new reviews and I was so happy!! Thank you for letting me know you care lol and thanks again for reviewing... you made my day!!  
  
SilentSlayer: The meeting between the two love birds won't happen until chapter 4 I'm thinking... because I want to expand on their childhood imagination for a bit... I'm glad you are enjoying my story... keep reading  
  
Dizzy F.o.B: Thanks for reviewing, more is on the way : )  
  
Picture un-perfect: I'm happy that your happy... hehe  
  
Mortal Immortal: I do feel loved... more than ever... thanks again ; )  
  
KittySamurai506: I plan to carry the timeline all the way up until Inu and Kag are about 18-20 years old... I know I know... it seems like forever... but I'll make it go by fast... right now the pair are about 5-7 years old... (hints- inu carrying around crayons...) Here is chapter 3 enjoy!!  
  
The Shadows: You were one of my first reviewers, thanks so much... chapter three is right here so maybe you could give me a full review?? Pretty please?? I wanna know how much I suck... lol  
  
AGAIN, TO ALL REVIEWERS... YOU ARE MY INSPIRATION!! I LOVE YOU ALL... AND THANKF FOR ALL OF YOUR WONDERFUL WORDS... I KNOW PERSENT CHAPTER THREE...  
  
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The next day,  
  
Kagome sat alone in the dining hall, picking at her morning breakfast, her mind wandering...  
  
She couldn't get the two-legged land creature out of her head. The image of him running along the beach kept flashing in Kagome's mind... she wanted a better look at him... she had never seen something so strange before.  
  
'In a way," she thought, 'he's allot like me... afraid of the wrath of his parents if he's late for dinner...' Kagome had to smile to herself; she loved having secrets, especially secrets like these.  
  
The stout doors of the dining hall opened and her father entered dramatically, his eyes scanned the room before coming to a gaze upon his daughter. Kagome stood up quickly and bowed to her father.  
  
"Sit, sit, my Kagome," he said, with a swishing of his left hand. Kagome returned to her seat and pretended to be more interested in her breakfast then her father.  
  
Kagome's father, King Yuu, the King of the Great Ocean, and Lord of its creatures was, indeed, a powerful merking. He was proud of his kingdom, and he had the right to be, every creature living in it feared him, and his words. He was more of a dictator than a king, Kagome often wondered if her father ruled his country properly. He certainly looked fearsome enough; he wore his long, black hair down and divided into pieces, each piece was tipped with a solid silver bracket at each end. When he swam his hair flew behind his head and made a loud, metallic noise. He was tall and thick throughout the chest and his fin was a deep blue, with flicks of black throughout it.  
  
Attendants, hurried in and out of the dining hall now. Two pulled back the King's chair, another two pushed it in. The King's morning breakfast was brought on fine, coral, platters and was always the same thing every day. A stack of seaweed pancakes, kelp grits, and an assortment of delicate roots, sushi, and mussels. The King ate in an elegant fashion and always found something to complain about... "Attendant..." he called, "these pancakes are too large, I need them a fourth of that size...take these away..." Again swishing his left hand, the attendant apologized and swam out of the room, carrying the tray. Kagome just shook her head and tried not to make any more trouble for the attendants than they needed.  
  
"So...Kagome dear, tell me..." the King said finally to Kagome, "do the civilians treat you with the respect that a Princess deserves?"  
  
Kagome had gotten very good at faking a happy attitude, so she placed a fake smile on her face and spoke joyfully, "Oh... why yes... of course Father. They are most humble. They even let me win sometimes when we are playing tag..."  
  
King Yuu's fist hit the table, almost knocking Kagome's glass off the table, but she caught it.  
  
"No, you see Kagome, you must not let other people LET you win. That shows weakness...you must be strong, you must always win! Then you earn peoples respect...but respect is not the half of it... they must KNOW that you mean business..."  
  
Kagome just wanted to put her hands over her ears and swim out of the room, but she remained silent and listened to her father lecture.  
  
"...and that is what makes a MAN, Kagome. One of these days, you will have boys chasing after you, wanting you only for your wealth... you must be strong, and pick out the weaklings from the warriors... because only a MAN can take his place on a throne."  
  
"Yes Father." Kagome answered sweetly.  
  
"Now, tell me about all the friends you made yesterday..." the King said, leaning back in his chair.  
  
"Actually Father, I was just planning on excusing myself so that I may go out and play." Kagome lied.  
  
"Oh, then by all means, you are excused my dear. Go out and have fun, you only get that chance for a short time in your life, might as well make the best of it." The King smiled to himself, and wiped his mouth. Kagome stood up and kissed her father lightly on the forehead, curtsied sweetly and swam, quickly, out of the room. The King watched his daughter with shinning eyes, "She'll be a heartbreaker, on day."  
  
Kagome swam up to her room, brushed her hair, and then fitted her crown on top of her head. She was about to leave when a thought came into her head.  
  
'Maybe people treat me differently, because I am the princess...what if I wasn't?' with that idea she took her crown off and placed it back on its holder. She swam out of her window and out towards the direction of her secret harbor.  
  
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Inuyasha surprisingly wasn't in that much trouble. It turned out that Sesshomaru didn't even go to dinner last night. He had to stay late at his fighting lesions because the teacher said he wasn't concentrating hard enough. Inuyasha laughed when he heard this, Sesshomaru... daydreaming?  
  
After breakfast the next morning, Inuyasha was supposed to go to the royal library and study on ancient languages, 'I'd much rather study on ancient weaponry.' Inuyasha told himself. But that was not on the curriculum of being a prince. Inuyasha had to at least wait until he was 10 to be able to take fighting classes like Sesshomaru. He didn't think that was very fair.  
  
Inuyasha slowly made his way down to the royal library. His hands stuffed in his pockets and his head down, he didn't need to look up, people moved out of the way for him to pass, and he knew the way by heart, he could probably do it blindfolded.  
  
As he walked down the long corridor, he came to a small window that overlooked the palace gardens, and the royal lake behind them. Inuyasha paused to gaze out of the window. Yesterday had been fun, all by himself, with no one to bug him about royal duties or stupid classes.  
  
Inuyasha's young mind began to wander, 'maybe I can go play outside for a little while and then come in before lunch... oh... Oh... and I can get my shovel and dig a big hole, and then push Sesshomaru into it!'  
  
He was convinced, so he ran down the corridor and out the main doors that led to the royal gardens. As he ran through the flowers, he could hear many of the palace gardeners yelling at him, but he just ignored them. He made a game with himself that he would not stop running, at full speed, until there was no more land to run on; meaning the end of the dock.  
  
Inuyasha's eyes narrowed as he focused on his objective. He brought his arms in close to his body, and he regulated his breathing. He flew down the rocky steps that led to the royal beach. Along the sand he had to use more energy, because it was hard to run on such thick sand, but Inuyasha loved testing himself, even if he was only half demon. At six years old he could out run any human. Inuyasha could see the dock; he pushed himself harder, 'Whoopie!! I'm flying' he thought to himself, as his feet touched the dock's wooden planks. Only two hundred feet to go, and he was running at full speed.  
  
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Kagome had enjoyed her swim to her secret inlet, and now she grew even more excited as she could see the dock a few feet in front of her. As she passed under the dock's protective shadow she wondered if her little two-legged friend would show up today. She didn't want to get herself to excited, the odds were against her, but she had to find out.  
  
Kagome surfaced underneath the dock, just a few boards away from the edge. She kicked her fin, and brought her face up to peer in between the boards. She stretched her eyes too look for the rocks and shell she left, she could see out of the very corner of her eye, she shadow of the rock pile. Kagome sank back down into the water, she felt hurt. 'He didn't come back..." she said her herself. Kagome felt like she was going to cry, but a noise stopped her tears.  
  
(Authors Note: ok, I know it's been easy to tell when Kagome's telling the story or when Inuyasha is telling the story... but for this next scene I'm going to combine their point of view's... so try and follow along... this should be fun ; ) )  
  
Inuyasha's face grinned with pleasure, "The home stretch!!" he shouted out loud.  
  
The sound was like that of thunder to Kagome, the whole dock shook and vibrated. Whatever was coming her way was moving very fast. Kagome grabbed onto the closest wooden peer leg and held on. 'Maybe it's an earthquake...' Kagome thought to herself.  
  
It wasn't an earthquake; it was a little hanyou moving VERY fast.  
  
For the last thirty feet, Inuyasha felt such an adrenaline rush, that he closed his eyes in anticipation of reaching his goal.  
  
The only problem was, he opened them a little too late to stop.  
  
Inuyasha slammed on his heels, and let out a whelp of astonishment. But it was too late, his attempting to stop short only made him spring, high into the air. Inuyasha soared off the end of the dock and landed, stomach down, with a huge SSSPPPLLLLAAAASSSSSHHHHHHHHHH on the water; a good twenty feet from the edge of the dock.  
  
The scream and huge splash in front of her scared Kagome so much that she too let out a scream. Kagome pulled her head back underwater, in time to see an X shaped object fall down towards the lake bottom. (Authors Note: X shaped because Inuyasha has his arms and legs spread out... so it he looks like a big X... kinda imagine Inuyasha doing a belly flop... lol... just for those who didn't get the idea... ok I'm done)  
  
Suddenly, Inuyasha sprung to life and began to thrash around under the water. Bubbles escaped his mouth as he choked on the water. He was able to float so his body rose to the top of the lake but he continued to thrash about.  
  
Underwater Kagome could hear the poor creature screaming at the surface. "Help... *glub glub* I can't... *glub* SWIM!!"  
  
Kagome recognized the voice, even if it was drowning. It was her land friend! Kagome flashed out from underneath the dock's shadow, towards the helpless creature. She wrapped her arms around his waist and kicked her fin towards the surface.  
  
Kagome forgot about her fears and splashed through the surface of the water. Trying to keep the creatures head above water, she swam for the dock. The creature in her arms still continued to thrash about, one of his legs kicked Kagome in the side. Kagome lost her grip on the creature and he began to sink back down underwater.  
  
Kagome grabbed for her side, and hunched over in pain. She looked up in time to see the creatures head disappear again under the water.  
  
Kagome dove back down underwater, and increased her speed. She needed to try a different approach of grabbing him so that he wouldn't kick her. Kagome passed her sinking friend and dove deeper. Then she turned back upwards and started again for the surface.  
  
The sinking figure of Inuyasha had stopped thrashing about, only a few bubbles escaped his mouth as he sunk deeper. Kagome came up from under him and grabbed him from under the knees and behind the back. (Authors Note: Yes, bridal style...) she kicked her fin faster and faster beneath her, as the surface of the water got closer and closer again.  
  
Kagome exploded out of the water, with the hanyou in her arms. She was exhausted, she didn't know if the creature in her arms was dead or alive. Whoever he was, and whatever he was, he was heavy. Kagome thought her arms were gonna give out. She couldn't carry this much weight.  
  
Images and voices began to flash into Kagome's head as she made her way again towards the dock. 'This is insane!' she thought, 'if my father could see me saving a land creature, he would kill me and the creature...'  
  
As Kagome reached the dock, with the last of her strength, she threw Inuyasha so that he laid half in the water and half out. His chest and head, with arms spread out in front of him, lay on the wooden deck. His middle have submerged and his legs underwater.  
  
Kagome swam back down underwater, took a deep breath and then kicked her fin to take her to the surface. As she shot out of the water, she grabbed the edge of the dock and turned her body to that she landed next to Inuyasha.  
  
Kagome had no idea how to check and see if he was ok or not. She didn't know how land creatures operated. Kagome just leaned in closer and looked at his face.  
  
The creature's mouth hung open slightly, half revealing his short fangs. On his hands were long claws. Kagome's eyes suddenly caught something on the top of his head. She leaned in for a closer look. Besides a wet, mass of silver tresses the creature had two, very cute, pair of dog ears! Kagome had seen pictures of dogs in her father's books, but she would have never had guessed that her land creature had them too!  
  
Kagome extended a graceful hand and touched one of the ears. Her fingers barley brushed it when it began to twitch. Kagome quickly pulled her hand away, as if it had been bitten by something. The creature made no sign of movement, and his ear stopped twitching. Kagome tried again, she had to touch one of those adorable ears! Her fingers were centimeters away, when Kagome gave in and lunged. She grabbed a hold of one and began to rub it. It was so soft and cute!  
  
Unexpectedly, she heard a soft purr admit from the creature's body. Kagome fell even more in love with his soft, fluffy, cuteness. The purr was followed by and violent cough and Kagome jumped back as Inuyasha began to cough up water, and gasp for air.  
  
His body began to quiver as he breathed in and out. Kagome lowered herself back down into the water. As soon as Inuyasha sensed movement around him, his golden eyes opened. He saw a blur of a face and hair travel out of his line of vision.  
  
Inuyasha pulled his head up and lifted himself up. "Wait... *cough cough* hey wait... *cough*"  
  
Kagome was half submerged when she heard him speak to her. She turned to eyes back to him, and for the first time, the two creature's eyes met and they stared at each other.  
  
Kagome's heart was in her throat. Her eyes must have been popping out of her head. She was too astounded to move.  
  
Inuyasha found his strength and pulled himself fully onto the dock. Kagome backed up a bit from him. She stared at the way he manipulated his body, with those two legs.  
  
Inuyasha crawled to his hands and knees, not taking his eyes off of the girl in the water. She looked normal enough. But he had no idea what was going on.  
  
Kagome's eyes directed again towards the creatures set of ears. They now stood on the top of his head, slightly twitching and directed at her.  
  
Kagome smiled at his ears and extended her hand for one last touch.  
  
Inuyasha dared not move as the girl moved closer to him. Her extended hand went up towards his head, he dared not even breathe. Then suddenly he felt a sharp pull from his right ear.  
  
"Ouch! Hey let go! That hurts!" Inuyasha yelled.  
  
Kagome let go of the ear and jumped back. She moved herself directly behind one of the big wooden pier poles. She hid her face for a second but peered around the cylinder corner. The creature stood sat on his two legs rubbing his right ear.  
  
"Their real ya know..." Inuyasha said, "and sensitive!"  
  
Kagome just stared at him.  
  
Inuyasha leaned forward at bit. "Don't you talk?"  
  
Kagome nodded her head.  
  
"Then talk."  
  
Kagome just stared at him.  
  
"You're boring." Inuyasha said. He began to ring the water out of his jacket.  
  
"You no swim." Kagome said shyly.  
  
Inuyasha jumped at her words. "Feh, I don't need to swim." He said. "You need to when you fall in the water." Kagome stated.  
  
"Feh..." Inuyasha said.  
  
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Hey Everyone I'm soo sorry but I'm gonna have to stop there for now... I'll continue it tomorrow... R&R if you wanna yell at me... lol... 


	4. Chapter 4

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Greetings to all readers... I wanted to apologize for the last chapter... it was really late at night... and my mommy was yelling at me to get offline... so I had to leave in a hurry... but here is Chapter 4 which will continue Inuyasha's and Kagome's conversation... Enjoy! Happy reading!  
  
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Last Time:  
  
"You no swim." Kagome said shyly.  
  
Inuyasha jumped at her words. "Feh, I don't need to swim." He said.  
  
"You need to when you fall in the water." Kagome stated.  
  
"Feh..." Inuyasha said.  
  
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Present Time:  
  
"I didn't fall... I just lost my balance... that's all." Inuyasha said.  
  
"You looked like you were drowning to me." Kagome shot back.  
  
"I had it under control..." Inuyasha said.  
  
"Yeah right..." Kagome said.  
  
"I did so!" Inuyasha growled.  
  
"Did not." Kagome said.  
  
"Did too!" Inuyasha yelled.  
  
"Did not!"  
  
"Did too!"  
  
"Did not!"  
  
"Did too!"  
  
"Did not!"  
  
"Did too!" "Did not!"  
  
"Forget you..." Inuyasha said.  
  
Kagome laughed. "What's so funny?" Inuyasha said.  
  
"Your face is all red." Kagome said.  
  
This just made Inuyasha's face turn redder. "So what?" Inuyasha snapped.  
  
"Your funny, land creature." Kagome said with a smile.  
  
"Land creature? What's that supposed to mean?" Inuyasha growled.  
  
"You are a land creature." Kagome said.  
  
"So are you!" Inuyasha said.  
  
"No I'm not." Kagome said.  
  
"Are too!" Inuyasha said.  
  
"Are not!" Kagome answered.  
  
"Are too!"  
  
"Are not!"  
  
"Are too!"  
  
"Are not!"  
  
"Are too!"  
  
"I'm not a land creature!" Kagome yelled at him.  
  
"Prove it!" Inuyasha snapped.  
  
"How?" Kagome said.  
  
Inuyasha was quiet for a second, but then he said, "You look human enough..."  
  
"I'm half human." Kagome answered.  
  
"What's the other half?" Inuyasha asked.  
  
"Fish..." Kagome stated.  
  
"Fish!?!" Inuyasha yelled, "How can you be half fish?"  
  
"I don't know. I just am." Kagome said. "How can you be half dog?"  
  
Inuyasha growled, "I'm not half dog!!"  
  
"You have ears!" Kagome said.  
  
"So do you..." Inuyasha stated.  
  
"But I don't have dog ears!" Kagome answered.  
  
Inuyasha smirked, "My ears don't make me half dog..."  
  
"Then what do they make you?" Kagome asked.  
  
"Half demon." Inuyasha said, as his smile grew bigger.  
  
"What's a demon?" Kagome asked.  
  
Inuyasha opened his mouth but then shut it, "It's what I am." He finally said. He hadn't a clue what it meant, but it was important, and he knew that much.  
  
"But you said you were only half demon." Kagome said.  
  
Inuyasha looked slightly hurt, but his attitude rose, "I am half demon, but I'll be full demon one day. Just you wait and see!"  
  
"Oh... ok..." Kagome said.  
  
Inuyasha sat back, pleased that he won the argument. After a long pause, Inuyasha spoke up, "So, fish-girl, what do..."  
  
"My name is not 'fish girl.'" Kagome snapped. "I'm not all fish."  
  
"Well then what do you call a girl half human-fish?" Inuyasha asked.  
  
"A mermaid." Kagome answered proudly.  
  
Inuyasha laughed. Kagome frowned, but Inuyasha kept laughing. Kagome realized that her frown didn't affect him. 'How dare him! Making fun of me! Doesn't he know who I am?!?' Then Kagome remembered something, she didn't have her crown on. She probably looked like a normal merfolk. 'Maybe its better that he doesn't know.' She decided. "Am I funny to you?" she asked, still a little upset. But Inuyasha was laughing to hard to hear her comment. Then Kagome began to laugh too. 'I guess to each other we are both funny looking...'she thought. And she began to laugh hysterically along with Inuyasha.  
  
"A mermaid, well that settles it... your crazy!" Inuyasha said.  
  
Kagome only smirked at him. "Fine, if you don't believe me, I'll show you."  
  
Inuyasha stopped laughing, he watched with wide eyes as the girl disappeared underneath the surface of the water. Inuyasha looked over the edge of the dock into the water, but only his reflection stared back at him.  
  
"Uhh... hello?" he said.  
  
Kagome had swum down underwater; she hit the bottom, and now made her way back up to the surface.  
  
The torpedoed up through the surface, she slid up onto the surface of the dock, and landed on her stomach. She was stretched out, her full body length, along the dock; only the tip of her fin still dipped lightly in the water.  
  
Kagome pulled herself off of her stomach and wiped her hair out of her face. She sat up and looked at Inuyasha with a big smile.  
  
Inuyasha stood wide eyed; he had never seen anything so bizarre. In the sunlight, the deep green of Kagome's fin, shinned with the glistening drops of water.  
  
Kagome shielded her eyes from the sunlight. And spoke a little out of breath. "See? I told you so!" she mocked.  
  
Inuyasha looked slightly impressed. He nodded his head in reply.  
  
Kagome sighed, "Well take a last look; I can't stay like this forever..."  
  
Inuyasha was about to ask why not, when Kagome rolled over and then over again. She fell with a big splash off the side of the dock. Inuyasha rushed over to the side of the dock that Kagome fell over.  
  
"Hey, are you ok?" he yelled at the empty water.  
  
"I'm fine..." said Kagome; her voice came from behind him.  
  
Inuyasha turned to see her back at the end of the dock, she was shoulder deep in the water again, the rest of her body submerged under the water.  
  
"What's your name?" Inuyasha asked. "Kagome..." she answered.  
  
"What?" Inuyasha said.  
  
"Kagome." She said louder.  
  
"Huh?" Inuyasha said.  
  
She grew annoyed. "KA. GO. ME.!!" she yelled.  
  
"Geez, all right I heard you, you didn't have to yell. My ears are sensitive remember?!?" Inuyasha said.  
  
"What's yours?" Kagome asked.  
  
"What's my what?" Inuyasha asked.  
  
"Your name!" Kagome shouted.  
  
"Ahh! God, didn't you hear me say my ears are sensitive!" Inuyasha said, putting his hands over his ears.  
  
Kagome didn't care about his ears. "Well?" she asked.  
  
He growled, "Inuyasha..." he said quietly.  
  
"Inuyasha... that's a weird name." Kagome said.  
  
"Well so is Kagome." Inuyasha said.  
  
"No it's not!" Kagome said.  
  
"Yes it is!" Inuyasha said louder.  
  
"Is not!"  
  
"Is too!"  
  
"Is not!"  
  
"Is too!"  
  
"Is not!"  
  
"Is too!"  
  
Kagome was fed up with him, she pulled her fin up to the top of the water, and created a huge splash that soaked Inuyasha, "IS NOT!!" she said.  
  
Inuyasha froze drenched with water. When he blinked, water dripped from his eyelashes.  
  
"What the hell was that for?" he yelled. He lunged for Kagome but she swam backwards away from the edge of the dock. Inuyasha looked for the nearest thing to throw at her. His eyes fell upon a pile of rocks to his left.  
  
He grabbed a hand full and pulled his arm back to throw them. Suddenly, he stopped and looked at the rocks in his hand, and then at the rocks in the pile.  
  
His eyes fell upon the large shell that was among them. He forgot about hitting Kagome with the rocks, and bent down looking at the shell. He picked it up with both hands, and turned it over and over again, inspecting it.  
  
"Those are yours..." Kagome said. Inuyasha looked up to see her directly in front of him; she gripped the dock with one hand.  
  
"How did you get these? I threw them into the water." Inuyasha said.  
  
"I know, I watched you. Why did you do that? What were you doing?" Kagome asked.  
  
"I was skipping the stones. But, how did you get these?" Inuyasha said.  
  
"I collected them, after you threw them into the water. I thought you would want them back..." Kagome said.  
  
Inuyasha just stared at her. "They are awful pretty." Kagome continued. "I don't see why you were throwing them away."  
  
"It's a game." Inuyasha said.  
  
"What kind of game?" Kagome asked.  
  
"Feh, I don't know, it's just a game." Inuyasha said.  
  
"Well, can I play?" Kagome asked.  
  
"Sure, ok." Inuyasha said.  
  
For the next two hours the young pair skipped stones along the water. At first Kagome's stones just sunk underwater without skipping at all.  
  
"No, not that way... it's all in the wrist." Inuyasha said, as he sent another across the surface. Every time they ran out of stones, Kagome dove underwater and got more.  
  
After a wile Kagome began to get the hang of it. And even a few times Kagome's stones flew farther than Inuyasha's.  
  
"It's all in the wrist, Inuyasha." Kagome joked.  
  
Inuyasha growled.  
  
Kagome asked allot of questions about the land, and Inuyasha asked allot of questions about the water.  
  
They both answered with stories and folklore.  
  
Within that afternoon, the pair had become great friends.  
  
After a while, Kagome spoke up, "It's kind of getting late... I should go."  
  
"Oh yea I guess it is." Inuyasha said, looking up at the sun in the sky.  
  
"Wanna play again tomorrow?" Kagome asked.  
  
Inuyasha looked down at her, and his mouth curved into a half smile. "Sure." He answered.  
  
Kagome's smile grew bright. "See you tomorrow then."  
  
"Right bye..." Inuyasha said.  
  
Inuyasha turned and began to walk away. Kagome watched him for a few seconds, but then ducked her head underwater.  
  
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I better get reviews for this one, I hope you all enjoyed. 


	5. Chapter 5

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Hello Again to all my faithful readers... I have to say that I LOVE my 14 reviews... hehe : D I can only hope that they will go up... up up up... lol I just finished watching the second Inuyasha movie, and it was soo AWSOME!! But anywho, I now present Chapter 5... *trumpets sound* Enjoy... oh and real quick... I noticed that I don't have a disclaimer up... so I guess I better put one up... so here goes... I don't own Inuyasha & Co. and if I did... well... I'd be a lot richer... Happy Reading!!  
  
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"Perhaps it becomes inevitable to pursue life as a whole. One must live life to the utmost extreme to be able to fulfill the goals set in our dreams. There is so much we have yet to discover about our world. "  
  
~WiNtEr_sToRmS_oF_iCe~  
  
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Kagome couldn't sleep a wink that night. She kept thinking about how much fun she had had with her new friend. She couldn't wait until morning came, so she could go out and play again!  
  
Kagome had started a basket, which she began to fill with items, too show to Inuyasha. Every time she would drift off to sleep, she remembered another thing that Inuyasha might like to see... so swam out of bed, retrieved the item, and then swam back into bed. The night seemed endless, but Kagome's energy had never been higher.  
  
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The next day, Inuyasha woke up with a jump. He stared out of his big glass window that overlooked the east walls off the palace with their towering balconies. The sun was bright and glowing through his window; it felt warm and full of songbirds. Inuyasha rushed through his morning activities; he ran out of his bedroom door, knocking over a maid who was coming to wake him up.  
  
"Lord Inuyasha! Up already?" she called to him. But he didn't hear her; he headed for the nearest door that would take him outside, to play in the sunshine.  
  
Inuyasha ran down the flight of marble stairs, taking each stair two at a time. He ran toward the gardens. Suddenly, Inuyasha met a figure he hoped to avoid this morning. Sesshomaru stepped from a side hallway... directly into Inuyasha's path.  
  
Inuyasha slammed into his brother's legs and fell backwards; looking up, dazed, toward what he hit. Sesshomaru remained standing and looked down at his little half-brother.  
  
"I don't believe I've ever seen you up this early before, Inuyasha. Where are you off to in such a rush this morning?" Sesshomaru asked him.  
  
Inuyasha rubbed his nose and stood back up, facing Sesshomaru.  
  
"I'm uhh... just going... to...umm..." Inuyasha tried to say. He could not think up and excuse to tell his older brother. If Sesshomaru knew that Inuyasha was trying to go out and play without going to class, he would have dragged Inuyasha to class by his ears, himself.  
  
"Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru warned him.  
  
"I'm going to... the library." Inuyasha spit out.  
  
"Strange... considering the royal library is on South wing of the castle. And here you stand at the East." Sesshomaru said.  
  
"I was taking a short cut." Inuyasha said.  
  
"Really?" Sesshomaru said.  
  
"Yup" Inuyasha said, hoping his brother would believe him.  
  
"I would like to see this so called 'short cut' of yours, Inuyasha." Sesshomaru said, eyeing him closely.  
  
"You can't..." Inuyasha said quickly.  
  
"And why not?" Sesshomaru asked.  
  
"It's a secret." Inuyasha told him.  
  
"A secret huh? Well, brother's aren't supposed to keep secrets from each other." Sesshomaru said.  
  
Suddenly, an attendant came up to the pair, bowed slightly and spoke, "Lord Sesshomaru, the King requests your presence in his royal chambers this morning."  
  
"When his morning?" Sesshomaru asked, he was annoyed that this attendant had disrupted him while he was trying to teach Inuyasha a lesson.  
  
"Immediately, my Lord." The attendant said.  
  
"And why didn't you contact me sooner?" Sesshomaru asked; his temper raising.  
  
"I could not locate you, Lord Sesshomaru." The attendant sunk to his knees, "Please forgive me, I do not obtain the speed that my Masters possess. I humbly apologize, my Lord. Please have pity on me!"  
  
"Your pity will save you!" Sesshomaru roared. And he turned and walked away, leaving the groveling attendant and Inuyasha alone.  
  
The attendant rose up again, but his eyes fell upon Inuyasha and he fell to his knees again, "Lord Inuyasha, my greatest apologies for the disturbance!" his voice was trembling.  
  
Inuyasha looked at the miko, with wide eyes. Then, an idea came into his head. "Servant, you are forgiven only if you grant me his request." Inuyasha said.  
  
"Anything my Lord." The servant said.  
  
"Do you know of a door that can lead me outside, that is never used by anyone, especially the royal family?" Inuyasha asked.  
  
The attendant was quiet for a moment, but then looked up at Inuyasha, "I know of one door that is used by no one but me, as a way for me to get from the royal kitchen to the beach, to dump left over carcasses into the water. But, why would your Lordship request this? The door is not really a door, just a hole in the thick walls."  
  
"In the royal kitchens you say?" Inuyasha said.  
  
"Yes, my Lord, the kitchens; back behind the knife rack." The attendant said.  
  
"Thank you, you are forgiven." Inuyasha said, and he ran back down to the northern wing, to the royal kitchens.  
  
'The kitchens are always busy, I'll never be seen!' Inuyasha thought to himself.  
  
When Inuyasha found his way through the kitchen doors, the royal chefs were busy preparing breakfast. And few looked up when the door opened.  
  
Inuyasha found the hole just as the servant had told him. It was big enough for Inuyasha to slip through without crawling. But then, Inuyasha was still little.  
  
A passage way, covered with vines, which separated one of the garden walls to the palace walls. Inuyasha ran down its secret path. It opened up and came directly out, and onto the royal beach. Inuyasha began to run in the direction of the royal dock. He couldn't wait to play with Kagome again. He hoped she would be there, as he continued down the beach.  
  
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Kagome had been at the dock for over twenty minutes, she wondered if Inuyasha was even going to come. 'Maybe he doesn't want to play with me anymore...' Kagome thought. She looked down at the basket of stuff she brought to show him, clutched in her arms. Kagome was in her usual spot under the dock, waiting for the noise of Inuyasha's footsteps on the dock to be heard.  
  
Suddenly, she began to hear someone coming. Kagome's heart jumped, 'He did want to play!' She was so excited that she almost swam out from under the dock to greet him. But enough of her father's words echoed in her head, to wait and make sure that it was him.  
  
Inuyasha came running down the dock; he remembered to slow down long enough to stop in time before he fell over the edge. Once he reached the end he began calling, "Kagome? Kagome? Are you here?" When no answer came, Inuyasha picked up a few rocks and began to throw them into the water around the dock.  
  
Kagome recognized his voice, and the rocks hitting the water were a dead giveaway that it was him. Kagome swam out from under the dock and put her basket up on top of the dock. "I'm here Inuyasha."  
  
"Hey Kagome," Inuyasha said, seeing his friend, "whatcha got?"  
  
"Some stuff I wanted to show you." Kagome said. As she pulled funny colored and shaped objects out of her basket.  
  
"I can only play for a little bit today, my brother yelled at me cause I'm not going to my classes..." Inuyasha said. Picking up a something that Kagome took out of her basket.  
  
"Oh, Sesshomaru right?" Kagome asked.  
  
"Yea, how did you know?" Inuyasha asked, spinning the object with his hands.  
  
"I'm psychic." Kagome teased.  
  
"Really?" Inuyasha said. "What am I thinking?"  
  
"I was joking Inuyasha! You're so easy!" Kagome said laughing.  
  
Inuyasha blushed, "Then how did you know about my brother?"  
  
"I heard you talk about him once, you talked about how he 'was gonna kill you cause you were late for dinner.'" Kagome said.  
  
"Oh," Inuyasha said, "You heard that?"  
  
"Yea," Kagome answered. "You and I hadn't met yet. I was kinda snooping."  
  
"You were spying on me?!?" Inuyasha growled.  
  
"No!!" Kagome cried, "I was just watching you."  
  
"So you were spying on me!" Inuyasha snapped.  
  
"I was not! I had just never seen a land creature before, so I was just trying to get a better look." Kagome shouted.  
  
"What did I tell you about my ears?!? You don't have to shout! I could probably hear you miles away!" Inuyasha cried.  
  
"Are you saying I have a big mouth?" Kagome asked.  
  
"Did I say that?" Inuyasha growled.  
  
"No..." Kagome said.  
  
"Then I didn't." Inuyasha said. *pulls down his eye lid and sticks out his tongue*  
  
"Harrumph!" Kagome said, as she turned back to her basket.  
  
"What does this thing do?" Inuyasha asked, as he held up an oval shaped object, that was made of a spongy material.  
  
"Oh, that's a spatice... it fills itself with water and can bounce really high." Kagome said, the spatice was certainly not the most interesting thing in her basket to show him. Kagome wondered why he liked it so much.  
  
"Oh..." Inuyasha said, he leaned over the dock and placed the spatice into the water; it swelled with water and tripled in size. Inuyasha threw it at the dock, and the spatice ricocheted off and shot high up into the air, until it was just a tiny dot.  
  
"Inuyasha! Don't lose my spatice!" Kagome said.  
  
The spatice came zooming down from its lofty height and Inuyasha caught it with one hand.  
  
"It's not supposed to be thrown that high..." Kagome said.  
  
"Well it went that high." Inuyasha said. He looked at the thing in his hand. "It's just like a big, soft, ball filled with water..." he said.  
  
Inuyasha threw the spatice again at the dock, this time with more force; the spatice soared off of the dock and into the air. The spatice disappeared out of Kagome's eyesight; she looked at Inuyasha who still looked up toward the sky. 'How can he possibly still see it?' she wondered.  
  
"Inuyasha? How can you still see it?" Kagome asked him.  
  
"Shh...I can't, I can hear it..." he said. Inuyasha took about three steps backwards as the spatice came down from the sky into his awaiting hand.  
  
"Heh." Inuyasha said, as he turned the spatice over and over with his fingers.  
  
He handed it back to Kagome, who rejected it.  
  
"Keep it... you like it more than I do." She said.  
  
"Wow, gee thanks Kagome." Inuyasha said, as he pocketed the spatice.  
  
For the rest of the morning, Kagome showed Inuyasha different things from her world. Surprisingly, Inuyasha only broke two things, so Kagome wasn't too mad at him, by the end of the day.  
  
"I gotta go..." Inuyasha said.  
  
"Why?" Kagome asked.  
  
"Because I've been skipping allot of classes, and Sesshie is mad at me." Inuyasha said.  
  
"What do you do in classes?" Kagome asked.  
  
"I dunno. Learn stupid stuff. It's really dumb." Inuyasha said.  
  
"Then why do you go?" Kagome asked.  
  
"Cause...I dunno... I'm forced too." Inuyasha admitted.  
  
"That's mean." Kagome said.  
  
"Feh, yea I guess." Inuyasha said, turning to leave.  
  
"Can you play tomorrow?" Kagome called to him.  
  
"Yeah I can." Inuyasha called back.  
  
"Ok, Bye." Kagome shouted to him.  
  
"Bye." Inuyasha shouted back.  
  
Kagome loaded her things, and headed for home. 'What am I supposed to do for the rest of the day?' she wondered.  
  
After playing with Inuyasha, normal merfolk just seemed boring.  
  
When she returned to the castle, she was greeted by the royal guards, who had smiles of anticipation on their faces.  
  
After entering the main doors, Kagome swam up to her room. She opened her door to be greeted by four attendants.  
  
"Lady Kagome, you father instructs that you come with him this afternoon, on his trip." The first attendant told her, as she took the basket away from Kagome.  
  
"We are here to prepare you for the trip." The second said, as they pulled her to her dresser, in front of the mirror. They all instantly began yanking at her hair, with long-toothed, coral combs.  
  
"Where am I going?" Kagome asked under the pain that they were putting her through.  
  
"We are instructed not to say." They all chimed together, and a ripple of laughter rang out among the group.  
  
'I can already guess what's coming...' Kagome said to herself. Even though she was very young, she was still the Princess of the Sea. And the only time her father would ever instruct the maids make a fuss over her appearance was only when he wanted to show Kagome off to someone... and that someone always had a younger son... and could only mean one thing...  
  
... a suitor for Kagome.  
  
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Inuyasha was having different problems, after he left the dock and Kagome, that afternoon; he entered the castle to find servants looking for him. He was immediately dragged down to the royal throne room, and stood in front of his father and Sesshomaru.  
  
Inuyasha knew he was in trouble, he dared not look up into his father's face, and Sesshomaru kept his back to him.  
  
The King spoke down to his son, with a voice that echoed throughout the room, and made Inuyasha's ears sting.  
  
"Inuyasha, I have been informed by your attendants that you have not been attending your classes. Is this true?"  
  
Inuyasha slowly nodded his head.  
  
"Can you explain yourself?" the King asked him.  
  
Inuyasha shook his head, and continued to stare at the floor.  
  
"Inuyasha I understand that you are young, and want to have fun, for I was once young like you once. But you're getting older, you're becoming stronger. And with strength and power comes awesome responsibility. Do you understand?"  
  
Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders.  
  
The King sighed, "Sesshomaru seems to think it would do you some good to go and live at the summer palace, further inland, and do a little training. Would you like to do that?"  
  
Inuyasha just shrugged again.  
  
"Inuyasha please give me a definitive answer." The King said.  
  
"I dunno..." Inuyasha said.  
  
The King decided to drop the topic for now, "Alright then, that's all for now, you can go Inuyasha. But I want you to promise me that you will start attending your royal duties, do I make myself clear?"  
  
Inuyasha nodded, and bolted out of the room. The guards shut the thick doors behind him.  
  
Inuyasha's ears began to twitch as he could hear the faint voices of his father and Sesshomaru talking, even behind the thick doors.  
  
Inuyasha walked out of the guard's line of vision and then placed one of his ears against the wall, which separated the hallway from the throne room. He could hear, plain and clearly his brother and father talking.  
  
"... he is immature and spoiled..." Inuyasha heard Sesshomaru say.  
  
"He is still young, my son." The King answered.  
  
"You treat him as though he has no demon in him at all!" Sesshomaru said loudly.  
  
"Hush, Sesshomaru, Inuyasha will hear your words." The King said.  
  
"Inuyasha ears are not keen enough. Remember, he is a hanyou." Sesshomaru stated.  
  
"But you defend him?" the King said.  
  
"I defend him because he IS my half-brother." Sesshomaru said.  
  
"His path is different from yours Sesshomaru." The King answered.  
  
"This I understand, yet I hear him say that one day he wants to possess the powers of a FULL demon." Sesshomaru said.  
  
"He says this? Even now?" the King asked with interest.  
  
"I can imagine that he feels weak, that's the human blood in him." Sesshomaru said.  
  
"His blood cannot change." The King said.  
  
"Then we condemn him to live a life as a half-breed. Surely he will soon understand what that means, in our society." Sesshomaru stated.  
  
"Then what do you suggest, my son?" the King said, leaning back in his chair.  
  
"Get him away from the palace, and the people sucking up to him, because he is different. Let him learn to use what little bit of demon he has in him, to its full advantage." Sesshomaru said.  
  
"This will do nothing for him." The King told him.  
  
"But, he will LEARN." Sesshomaru said.  
  
"Learn what? That he can never retain his royal powers because he is a hanyou. Sesshomaru, if he leaves the palace, he cannot return." The King said.  
  
"He will never be able to return anyway. Our society will cast him out. Let him at least learn how to deal with it. How to not have servants to give him anything he wants, to live as an outsider. Because that's all he is..." Sesshomaru said.  
  
"So be it." The King answered.  
  
Inuyasha pulled his ear away from the wall; he wasn't quite sure what his father and Sesshomaru were talking about. It all seemed like a good thing; maybe he could become full demon if he went to the summer palace. Inuyasha liked the idea of being able to express all his demon powers to the greatest potential. (Authors note: Inuyasha thinks it's a good idea, because he is still young and naïve... it actually is NOT GOOD, as I'm sure you all have guessed. The royal family does not want a half breed in the royal blood line... so in a way, this is a chance for them to cast Inuyasha out. ~My poor little Inuyasha ::sniff sniff::~ )  
  
"Wait, until I tell Kagome! She'll never believe it!" Inuyasha said, as he ran off.  
  
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	6. Chapter 6

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Greetings again to all my faithful readers. I know this story seems to be dragging on and on but promise that it will get more interesting. I want to give a big shout out to all my reviewers, you guys all rock, and thanks for taking such a huge interest in my story!!  
  
Just real quick I want to add that I do have other stories posted on FanFiction... that I am very proud of... my first story entitled: "Stallion" has won many awards in fiction contests. Including the "Young Writers Fiction Award," which gave me some scholarship money. I don't mean to brag about it... its just not many people have read it and reviewed for it... so if you could check it out (I know its really long) and review than you can see why it has been so popular...  
  
But now on to the story you all want to read... : ) I now present Chapter 6... enjoy!!  
  
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Over the next several weeks Inuyasha and Kagome spent either the morning or the afternoon playing together.  
  
Kagome loved playing with Inuyasha because he treated her like a normal person...err mermaid. He was funny, in a clumsy kind of way but he could also be sensitive and serious at times.  
  
Inuyasha liked that Kagome was not weak or scared of him. He enjoyed winning arguments with her, and listening to her talk. She was his only true friend.  
  
One miscellaneous day, Kagome and he happened to be arguing over which was better, being a mermaid or being a demon. Inuyasha thought it would be fun to be a mermaid...err merman and be able to swim underwater all the time, and not have to come up for air, and also be able to talk to the sea life. Kagome liked the idea of being a demon; to be able to live on land, and run around, and not have to worry about the sun.  
  
"...at least you don't have to worry about becoming a master fighter and swordsman..." Inuyasha said.  
  
"Oh, yes I do. At least you don't have to memorize stupid songs that mean nothing!" Kagome backfired.  
  
"That's not that bad. At least you don't have a brother breathing down you neck every time you do something wrong!" Inuyasha said.  
  
"Uh! Try having a FATHER that does that! And who is trying to force you into marrying some random person who could care less if you were alive or dead." Kagome said.  
  
"You have to get married?" Inuyasha asked. "That's so gross!!"  
  
"It's not like I want too!" Kagome snapped. "I'm forced too!"  
  
"Man that sucks so bad!" Inuyasha said.  
  
"Tell me about it..." Kagome said frowning. "I just met this one kid, the other day, and he's like three years older than me! All he did was follow me around and recite poetry that he wrote about me..."  
  
Inuyasha fell down and rolled on the ground laughing hysterically.  
  
"It's not funny!" Kagome shouted.  
  
"Yes it is!!" Inuyasha cried, under his laughing.  
  
"What ever," Kagome said. "At least you're not forced to marry anybody like that..."  
  
"Actually," Inuyasha said sitting up. He scratched his head, "I spend every summer with this one girl, who's supposed to be the one I'm betrothed too... Kik...something... Ki..ya...Kik...wa... uhh..."  
  
"You don't even know the name of the person you're betrothed too?!?" Kagome cried out. "How sad are you!"  
  
"Shut up! She's not THAT bad, just a little obsessive. She likes to carve her name and mine in trees and junk like that. And I do too know her name!... I just... I just can't remember it right now... that's all..." Inuyasha said.  
  
"That's still sad." Kagome said.  
  
"Feh." Inuyasha countered.  
  
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Some days, the friends would fuss and fight, but they always remained friends.  
  
Kagome even got around to teaching Inuyasha how to swim. It took him long enough to admit that he really did want to learn, and just as long to teach him.  
  
"Kick your fin, Inuyasha!" Kagome said, trying to hold his head above water.  
  
"I don't fucking have a fin!" Inuyasha yelled, with a mouthful of water.  
  
"Then kick your feet, and if you don't stop cussing I'm gonna let you drown!" Kagome yelled back. Over time, Inuyasha did learn how to swim.  
  
"Hey... Kagome..." Inuyasha said one day after his lesion.  
  
"Yes?" she answered.  
  
"Thanks." He answered.  
  
"You're welcome Inuyasha." Kagome said, and smiled sweetly at him.  
  
Inuyasha gave a slight smile back.  
  
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Eventually, weeks turned into months, and months turned into a year; a year into two years.  
  
Unknown to each other, they both had royal duties to attend too; even more so now that they were older. Kagome was fighting off suitors left and right. Inuyasha was trying to stay alive under his brother, who was soon about to assume the thrown.  
  
Both of their lives had changed so much. Sometimes a span of five days would go by before the friends could meet and catch up. But the distance seemed to tie their bonds of friendship tighter. They counseled each other, helped each other study, and listened to each others problems.  
  
Yet, they both new so little of the other's life.  
  
Then, one day, their worlds collided.  
  
Inuyasha's father, the King, began to die. And his final days of life, had put Sesshomaru in the worst possible mood, and he used Inuyasha as a way to take out his anger.  
  
Finally, Inuyasha couldn't take it anymore. When Sesshomaru went to hit him... Inuyasha countered. The defense shocked Sesshomaru, and he even seemed happy that Inuyasha had defended himself. 'He will be ready to handle some intensive training soon.' Sesshomaru thought.  
  
To make matters worse, Inuyasha's betrothed, Kikyou, was staying at the royal castle. Kikyou's mother was a priestess and in turn Kikyou was in training to become one too. Kikyou's mother was at the castle to help heal the King, but her herbs and remedies didn't hold true to their awesome healing powers, and the King still continued to die.  
  
Inuyasha decided to go out and see Kagome one day, he wanted to talk to her and tell her that his father was dieing. Kikyou was looking for Inuyasha and watched as he slipped through the broken wall in the royal kitchen, behind the knife rack. Kikyou knew how sensitive Inuyasha's ears were, so she waited until she was clearly out of ear shot before she followed him.  
  
The secret passageway had since completely grown over with swinging vines and tree roots.  
  
'What is my love hiding?' Kikyou thought to herself. After she made it out of the passageway, she noticed that she was at the beach of the royal lake. Kikyou shielded the sun from her eyes and looked for Inuyasha. She could see a small figure of Inuyasha half running along the beach. Kikyou started after him, eager to know where he was going all by himself.  
  
Inuyasha made it to the dock, and walked down it leisurely. It had not rained in weeks, so the water level was quite low. When Inuyasha came to the end of the dock he walked over to one of the big posts. Tied to the post, with a piece of long rope, was a large stone. Inuyasha rolled the stone into the water, and it sunk to the bottom. Then he sat down on the dock and scanned over the lake surface.  
  
The stone and rope thing was something that he and Kagome had thought of. If Inuyasha arrived at the dock, he put the stone into the water as a message to Kagome that it was ok to come to the surface. It was a way to protect her so no one would find out about her.  
  
After about a minute or two, Inuyasha heard a small movement under the dock. And then he saw as a head, with raven black hair, and chocolate eyes appear from under the dock.  
  
"Long time no see, Inuyasha." Kagome said.  
  
"Yea I know..." Inuyasha said.  
  
Kagome sighed and tapped her fingernails on the wooden dock. She looked up at Inuyasha and then gave a small shudder.  
  
"Inuyasha, what happened?" She asked.  
  
"What?" he said.  
  
"That scar..." Kagome said, pointing to a long scar on his shoulder.  
  
Inuyasha looked in the direction she was pointing, "Oh that, I don't know. Cut myself while training I guess."  
  
"Oh come on, Inuyasha. I know you're a better swordsman than to cut yourself like that." Kagome said.  
  
"Feh." Inuyasha said in reply. "Has your brother been bullying you again?" Kagome asked.  
  
"I can handle it." Inuyasha said.  
  
"I don't think you can, Inuyasha, since you have that big mark on your shoulder." Kagome said a little worried.  
  
"Geez, didn't I just say I can handle it?!? Why are you all in my business anyway? It's not your problem." Inuyasha snapped.  
  
Kagome frowned, "If you're going to insult me then I'll just leave."  
  
"Feh. Do what you want I don't care..." Inuyasha said.  
  
"Grouch." Kagome said under breath.  
  
"I heard that." Inuyasha said.  
  
"What ever, Inuyasha." Kagome said, as she began to disappear under the water.  
  
Inuyasha sighed, "My father's dying ok... geez."  
  
Kagome's heart tendered for Inuyasha, she resurfaced and came closer to him. She didn't know what to say. He'd probably just yell at her.  
  
"I'm sorry to hear that Inuyasha." She said softly.  
  
"Feh." He replied.  
  
"Do you wanna talk about it?" Kagome asked.  
  
"Not really. I don't care anymore." Inuyasha said.  
  
"I think you do." Kagome said.  
  
Inuyasha said nothing. He just scratched at the old, wooden dock with his claws.  
  
'Oh Inuyasha,' Kagome thought, 'you act so tough, but inside your crying. I know you too well not to know how you feel.'  
  
Kagome pulled a wet hand out from under the water; she reached up and placed it on top of Inuyasha's clawed hand.  
  
Inuyasha closed his golden eyes, and sighed. His bangs covered his eyes, and he stared at the ground.  
  
Suddenly, Inuyasha's ears twitched. Inuyasha jerked his head up and looked toward the beach. "Someone's coming!" he hissed to Kagome.  
  
Kagome quickly pulled her head underwater. She resurfaced under the dock. She kept her nose and mouth underwater; she only wanted to hear what was going on.  
  
Inuyasha looked to see Kikyou walking towards him. 'Damn, it's her' Inuyasha thought. He had almost blown Kagome's cover. He had not been paying at all attention to what was going on around him. He was too busy being a baby.  
  
"Hey Inuyasha!" Kikyou called to him, waving.  
  
"Kikyou, why are you following me?" Inuyasha growled.  
  
Under the dock, Kagome heard the voice of the woman. Then she recognized the name. Anger rose in her throat, 'What was SHE doing here?' Kagome wondered.  
  
"Can't a fiancé want some time alone with her future husband?" Kikyou said, as she came closer to Inuyasha.  
  
'Fiancé!' Kagome screamed in her head.  
  
Inuyasha turned away, "I don't care."  
  
Kikyou put a hand to Inuyasha's face, "You poor dear, your so heartbroken over your father."  
  
Inuyasha pulled his head away, and said nothing.  
  
Kikyou sighed, "I wish I wasn't the one to tell you this. But the king died earlier this morning..." tears formed in Kikyou's eyes, "I'm so sorry Inuyasha!" She threw herself at Inuyasha's shoulder, and hugged him.  
  
Inuyasha's eyes widened as she said this. He let Kikyou hug him, he didn't care. His hands tightened into fists.  
  
Under the dock, Kagome was forcing back tears. She was half sad, half furious and shocked. She understood now, Inuyasha was a prince. Now his brother, whom he hated, would become King. Inuyasha would be shunned from their society. Kagome suddenly wished that she was anywhere but under that dock right then. She wondered why Inuyasha had lied to her after all these years. She wasn't sure to be mad or not, since she was indeed a princess herself. They both had totally hid themselves from each other, Kagome felt like she never new him; he was now a totally different person to her.  
  
"Kikyou, can you leave me alone, I just want to be by myself for awhile." Inuyasha said.  
  
"NO!" Kikyou said under her tears, "you need someone to cry on. It's ok, Inuyasha I'm here for you, and I'll always be here for you. Please don't ask me to go!"  
  
"I don't need anyone right now." Inuyasha said. "Please go away."  
  
Kikyou pulled away from hugging him. Inuyasha looked at her red, tear stained face.  
  
"I won't Inuyasha! I won't!" she said. She then flew into Inuyasha's arms. She placed her quivering lips on his stiff ones. It took Inuyasha a second to realize what she had done. He had never been kissed before, but this... this was not a true kiss... it was a... a sympathy kiss.  
  
Kagome could see Inuyasha and Kikyou through the cracks in the old dock. Her questions turned into rage. She never wanted anything more than to hurt Kikyou this moment. How dare she pry on Inuyasha's emotions, and attack him with passion at a time when he was most vulnerable.  
  
Kagome felt the inner soul of her mermaid history surface in her mind.  
  
Mermaids have long been known as sirens of the deep. They use ancient magical songs and their great beauty to lead unprepared sailors to their deaths among the shallow coral beds.  
  
Kagome couldn't bring herself to sing. So she did the next thing she knew to do.  
  
Kagome swam out from under the dock. Using her powerful tail, she created huge waves of water and splashed Kikyou and Inuyasha.  
  
The water pulled Kikyou away from Inuyasha, their kiss ended. Inuyasha looked in the direction that the water came in; before he could see the source another splash hit him and Kikyou. Kikyou screamed as the water hit them; the salt burned Inuyasha's eyes. He put himself between the water and Kikyou, and placed his arm over his eyes to prevent anymore water from hitting them.  
  
By the fourth splash, both Inuyasha and Kikyou were drenched. Inuyasha looked through the water to see the fin of a mermaid...Kagome's fin.  
  
"Kagome, stop it!" he roared under the splashes of water.  
  
After one final splash, Kagome stopped. She surfaced and looked at Inuyasha.  
  
"What is your problem, Kagome?" Inuyasha yelled at her. His golden eyes flashed at her, he had hatred in his eyes.  
  
From behind him Inuyasha heard a voice cry out, "That's a Siren! Inuyasha look out, she'll drag you down to the lake bottoms and let you drown!" Inuyasha barely could speak a reply before another splash of water hit him and he heard Kagome's voice.  
  
"You stupid girl! If I wanted to kill you I would find a more painful way than that!" Kagome sneered.  
  
Kikyou's eyes widened, but Inuyasha came between the two women.  
  
"Kagome! What do you think you're trying to do?!?" he roared.  
  
Kagome faced him and lowered her gaze, she spoke with a sarcastic tone, "Ohh... please forgive me PRINCE INUYASHA... that I have stupidly drenched your beloved fiancé."  
  
Inuyasha's eyes flashed as she called him 'prince.' He opened his mouth to speak but no words came out.  
  
"Save your words, Prince Inuyasha! Your foul tongue has spoken nothing but lies to me my whole life! And to think... I trusted you!" Kagome shrieked.  
  
"Kagome...I..." Inuyasha spoke up.  
  
"Kagome?!?" Kikyou cried, "You know this Siren, Inuyasha?!?"  
  
"Shut up!" Inuyasha said to her, he turned to Kagome, but she had disappeared under the water.  
  
"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled at the empty water.  
  
Without thinking twice Inuyasha jumped into the water. He began to sink for only a second, but then he began to swim. He rose to the surface and took a breath.  
  
"Inuyasha!!" He heard Kikyou call. He ignored her, and took a deep breath and sunk back underwater.  
  
Underwater he opened his eyes, even though they stung with the salt water, he glanced wildly from side to side. To his far left, he saw some bubbles and a piece of Kagome's fin disappear in the distance. His heavy jacket pulled his body to the bottom of the lake, but Inuyasha didn't have time to take it off.  
  
Inuyasha shouted underwater her name. But only bubbles escaped his mouth. He started to swim towards her. He was running out of air, but he could just barely see Kagome swimming away. If he surfaced for air, he would certainly lose her. He kept swimming after her. His lungs burned for the air, he could not have. But Inuyasha had to get her, he had to tell her why he lied to her! He couldn't live with himself if he didn't. With his last bit of air in his dry lungs he shouted underwater her name. Inuyasha's body shut down from the lack of oxygen. His eyes closed shut. And his heart beat slower and slower. As he sunk even deeper to the lake's bottom.  
  
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OoOoOoOoOoOo a cliff hanger... hehe... ok yea... it's 1:30 in the morning... so I gotta go to bed now... don't worry I'll update quickly... I wont be that mean and leave you hanging... hehe... or am I?? *Evil laugh* 


	7. Chapter 7

I know you all are anxious to know how the story is going to go on... so I wont bore you with author notes... ; ) Just don't forget to REVIEW if you like what you reading!!!  
  
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Last Time:  
  
Inuyasha shouted underwater her name. But only bubbles escaped his mouth. He started to swim towards her. He was running out of air, but he could just barely see Kagome swimming away. If he surfaced for air, he would certainly lose her. He kept swimming after her.  
  
His lungs burned for the air, he could not have. But Inuyasha had to get her, he had to tell her why he lied to her! He couldn't live with himself if he didn't. With his last bit of air in his dry lungs he shouted underwater her name.  
  
Inuyasha's body shut down from the lack of oxygen. His eyes closed shut. And his heart beat slower and slower. As he sunk even deeper to the lake's bottom.  
  
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'This is it...' Inuyasha thought to himself, '...This is where... I will die...'  
  
Inuyasha felt like he was diving head first through space. His silver hair flew behind him, his clothes flying in the wind. He was falling to eternity.  
  
A bright yellow light appeared in Inuyasha's mind. The light flashed like a heart beat. Was it his heart beat? It couldn't be, his heart couldn't beat that strongly, he was dieing, wasn't he? But the light flashed bright and true.  
  
Suddenly, Inuyasha's legs bound together. Inuyasha felt something twist around his body, like a snake trying to strangle him.  
  
Inuyasha was then, not falling head first anymore, his body was being manipulated by an outside force. It flipped and turned, until he stood up. The snake-like object crawled its way to meet his gaze. But the face that appeared was not that of a serpent. It was a mass of raven colored hair that swayed back and forth like the ocean waves. Inuyasha's own silver hair, and this mass of black hair, intertwined together, and waved together in the wind.  
  
Then, Inuyasha's eyes, finally met another set. These eyes were browner than any soil, and filled with more life than a happy child. The eyes were... timeless. Inuyasha never realized how beautiful they were... those eyes... those eyes he knew for so long... those eyes that belonged to his only friend... those eyes of Kagome's.  
  
Their faces were inches apart. Inuyasha's eyes fell to Kagome's lips. Her lips parted slightly. Inuyasha wanted so bad to fill the gap with his own lips. Then, his wish came true. Kagome pushed her face towards his, and he caught her taste. Kagome gently breathed into his mouth, and Inuyasha felt his life return to him...  
  
Inuyasha's eyes opened wide, instantly salt water rushed in and stung them. He was still underwater, still drowning. But he was breathing... he was breathing the water; it was fresher than any air, with a slight crisp of mint.  
  
Inuyasha gently started to move, but he couldn't, his legs were held in place. Suddenly, Inuyasha became very aware of ... his mouth. His eyes focused down, and the figure before him, had her eyes shut and her hand gently resting on his chin. Her lips and his were gently connected, and with this connection Inuyasha could breathe the water.  
  
Kagome could sense that Inuyasha had regained consciousness; she pulled her lips away from his. Inuyasha watched as Kagome faced him. Her hair swirled up around her face. Her whole body was parallel to Inuyasha's; her fin was wrapped around his legs, holding him close to her. She unraveled herself from around him, and looked at him with a blank expression.  
  
"Kagome..." Inuyasha said, "How can I be..."  
  
Kagome swam up and placed a white finger on his lips. "As long as you are with me, you are safe in the water." Then, Kagome's face filled with a smile.  
  
Inuyasha looked beyond Kagome, at the new world he never knew. Everything seemed so much quieter underwater. A small, dull fish swam by Inuyasha's left knee. Inuyasha smiled as it looped in and out of his legs, then swam towards Kagome, swirled around her, then disappeared within the murkiness of the water.  
  
Kagome watched Inuyasha as he looked all around her world. She couldn't stay mad at her friend, he meant to much to her.  
  
"How is this possible?" Inuyasha asked, as he waved his hand underwater creating bubbles that traveled up to the surface.  
  
Kagome's head snapped back into reality. "There are many things about mermaids that are yet to be known or understood."  
  
Inuyasha looked at her with a surprised look, "Could you maybe tell me these things one day?"  
  
"If you're good, then, maybe, I'll consider it." Kagome said, jokingly.  
  
Inuyasha smiled, "Deal."  
  
Kagome smiled back. But, then her smile fell slightly.  
  
"You could have been honest with me, Inuyasha." Kagome said.  
  
"Yea, I know. It's just...I didn't want to go around telling everyone I was a prince, and stuff. You know... people might... take it the wrong way."  
  
"I would have never treated you any differently." Kagome said.  
  
"Yea, I know. Thanks." Inuyasha said.  
  
"So, if I don't treat you any differently because you are a prince... then will you not treat me any differently if I were a princess...?" Kagome said, looking down.  
  
Inuyasha's mouth fell open, "What the hell are you talking about?!?" he cried.  
  
Kagome didn't say anything.  
  
"Are you a fucking princess?" Inuyasha shouted, his temper rose.  
  
Kagome still didn't speak.  
  
"And you lay a guilt trip on me! You make ME seem like the bad guy. You lied just as much as I did!" Inuyasha roared.  
  
"Would you treat me any differently if I was?" Kagome asked again.  
  
Suddenly, Inuyasha realized what was happening. They both were at fault. They both didn't tell. They both hid their true identities from one other.  
  
"No, your majesty, I wouldn't." Inuyasha said, with a hint of sarcasm.  
  
"Oh Inuyasha..." Kagome said, with a sigh. "Let's just promise each other that we will be honest from now on. And that includes everything, family problems and LOVE problems."  
  
Inuyasha laughed slightly, "Yea, I kinda noticed that you got a little jealous back there, when Kikyou kissed me."  
  
Kagome blushed a deep crimson color. "I was not jealous! I just didn't think she should have pushed herself at you like that, especially when you were so vulnerable."  
  
"Feh," Inuyasha said, "it didn't mean anything anyways. She's always being weird like that."  
  
"Then you shouldn't let her do that to you, if you don't like it." Kagome said.  
  
"Like you do with your suitors..." he laughed, "Ha! This all makes sense now... why you would have suitors and all... you must give them hell. They never come back."  
  
"You know," Kagome said, trying not to kill him right then, "I could just let you drown. And with that heavy royal jacket you've got on, your dead weight in the water."  
  
"Geez, ok ok I was joking..." Inuyasha said. "No more royalty jokes ok? Deal?"  
  
"Deal." Kagome said.  
  
"Good, now how do I get back to the dock?" Inuyasha asked. "I can barely see anything in this murky water."  
  
Kagome laughed, "Come on, dog boy, it's not to far away." She kicked her fin grabbed Inuyasha's hand.  
  
Inuyasha suddenly felt like he was flying. Kagome was surprisingly strong, if she was able to pull him. And she swam really fast using that tail of hers.  
  
Inuyasha was glad they were friends. But, this experience had certainly changed his feelings about Kagome. In a way, she was a lot like him. He wondered if they would be friends forever, he could never imagine his life without her.  
  
As Kagome pulled Inuyasha through the water, towards his dock, she thought about their relationship. I hope he didn't think that the kiss meant anything; I was just trying to save his life. But... then again, I was really nice. She smiled to herself. Nah, Inuyasha is just... Inuyasha... but even so, this experience had brought the pair closer together.  
  
The dock appeared directly in front of them. As they came closer, Inuyasha looked down at the lake's bottom. Directly under the dock's shadow, was a whole collection of weird objects. Piles of rocks, pieces of wood, old rubber balls, pieces of metal. It all looked like junk to him.  
  
"What's all that stuff?" Inuyasha shouted up to Kagome, and pointed towards the dock.  
  
"Oh, just some stuff I've collected over the years." Kagome said, a little embarrassed. "Rocks that we used to throw, old toys of mine that you broke, and pieces of stuff that you gave me."  
  
"You kept all that junk?" Inuyasha asked.  
  
"Well," Kagome said, not knowing what to say, "I didn't really have a place to put any of it, my father would kill me if he found any of it. So I just kept it here. You land creatures have the weirdest stuff."  
  
"Well, that's all junk there." Inuyasha said, "You should see some of the stuff that I have up in the palace. Then you would be impressed."  
  
"I'm sure..." Kagome said with a laugh.  
  
Kagome pulled Inuyasha up under the dock, and they both surfaced. Inuyasha hit his head on the top of the dock.  
  
"Ow, shit." He cursed.  
  
"Shh!" Kagome warned. "You better go out first, and see if its safe."  
  
"Fine." Inuyasha said.  
  
He pulled his head underwater, and reappeared on the edge of the dock. He pulled himself up out of the water and onto the dock. He glanced around... no one. Not even Kikyou.  
  
"All clear." Inuyasha said, as he pulled himself fully out of the water and onto the dock.  
  
He sat up and began to ring the water out of his clothes. Kagome pulled her head out of the water, took a glance around and then said, "Inuyasha...?"  
  
"Yea..."  
  
"What are you gonna say if Kikyou told Sesshomaru?" she asked, a hint of fear in her voice.  
  
"I don't know. I guess I'll just deny it. Is that the best thing to do?" he asked.  
  
"I suppose." Kagome said. "Just promise you will still come and visit me."  
  
"Feh, don't worry. You'll be seeing allot of me." Inuyasha said. He stood up and rubbed his eyes.  
  
"Oh, Inuyasha..." Kagome called to him.  
  
Inuyasha looked back at her, but didn't speak.  
  
"I'm sorry about your father." Kagome said.  
  
"Heh, yea... thanks Kagome." Inuyasha said. "I know you heard the same thing from Kikyou but, if you ever need anything... ya know you can always ask..." Kagome said.  
  
"I know Kagome, Thank you." Inuyasha said, as he flashed her a toothy smile, and then turned and walked away.  
  
Kagome smiled back and watched him walk away. Then she pulled her head under the water, and swam for home.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Unknown to Kagome or Inuyasha, a shadowed figure lingered not to far away from the pair. His physical features were hidden behind a large monkey suit. He listened to the pair talk; an evil smirk appeared on his concealed face.  
  
"How cute... the hanyou prince and the mermaid have fallen in love..." his dark voice spoke.  
  
"This could prove to be very interesting... very interesting indeed... I have always wanted to rule over an entire species... and I believe that the merfolk and all their sea creatures... will make a nice addition to my collection. I must add this to my list of civilizations to destroy."  
  
And with an evil laugh, he disappeared.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Uhh... the things I do for my fans... The time is currently 12:30 at night... and I have to get up at 5:00 am for Easter Sunday mass. Huh... I better get some love. Review if you love me... ; ) 


	8. Chapter 8

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Bonjour, my favorite people!! I just wanted to extend another HUGE thank you to all my reviewers... my reviews have jumped up to 27!! This is my most popular story... and I love it!! I hope everyone is enjoying it... and if you want to give me any writing suggestions with the story... don't hesitate to put them in your review... any little bit of advice is always welcome ^ .^ And now... Here is Chapter 8... Happy reading!!  
  
!!!!WARNING!!!! I HAVE DECIDED TO INCREASE THIS STORY'S RATEING TO PG-13 BECAUSE OF SOME ROUGH LANGUAGE SO FROM NOW ON STORY IS PG-13 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Inuyasha slowly made his way back up towards the palace. He was regretting this moment ever since Kikyou told him that his father had died.  
  
'This is insane.' He said to himself, 'I'm walking into my own demise I know it...'  
  
As he entered the castle, the air felt cold. For the first time, the palace seemed so large and complicated to him. He had no idea where to begin. Should he look for his father? Should he hide from Kikyou? Should he attempt to talk to Sesshomaru? Inuyasha decided just to wait and be found by someone.  
  
Inuyasha marched up the large, marble staircase that led to a large picturesque hallway filled with the massive windows that overlooked the city. The sun shinned through the glass, filling the white walled hallway with pure, clean light. Inuyasha suddenly could remember an instance of his childhood...  
  
~*~*~ Flashback ~*~*~  
  
"Do you really expect to color the whole city with those few crayons?" Sesshomaru said, ruffling Inuyasha hair.  
  
"No..." Inuyasha said, under his messed up tresses. "The city would have to shrink even more for me to color it."  
  
"Cities can't shrink smaller, Inuyasha, they can only grow." Sesshomaru said. "And do you know what makes them grow?"  
  
"Daddy?" Inuyasha asked.  
  
"That's right. And not just Father, members of his court and warriors."  
  
"But, mostly Daddy right?" Inuyasha asked.  
  
"Yes, mostly Daddy." Sesshomaru answered.  
  
There was a short pause before either of them spoke again.  
  
"Wanna go play Sesshie?" Inuyasha asked.  
  
"No." Sesshomaru answered.  
  
Inuyasha began to pout. "Why not Sesshie?" he asked.  
  
"Because heirs don't play." He answered.  
  
"Oh... then what do heirs do?" Inuyasha asked.  
  
"We learn." Sesshomaru answered.  
  
"Aren't you allowed to have any fun?" Inuyasha asked.  
  
"No. We, I mean...I, have duties to uphold. I must be there to help father, and learn from his reign, on how to be a good king."  
  
"Oh... is it fun?" Inuyasha asked.  
  
"It's duty." Sesshomaru answered.  
  
"Seems silly." Inuyasha said.  
  
"It's called responsibility, something that you SHOULD be aware of by now." Sesshomaru said. He looked down at Inuyasha who ducked his head in shame and gave a soft whine.  
  
~*~*~ End Flashback ~*~*~  
  
Inuyasha frowned to himself. 'I'm not going to be pathetic anymore.' He decided. 'Even though Sesshomaru is older and a full demon... I'm still part of his family... and my opinion will be heard!'  
  
With that thought he continued down the hallway, directing his attention at his objective.  
  
An attendant, dressed in white, stepped out of a side room. She gently closed the door behind her. In her arms she carried a hamper filled with folded white towels. She didn't look up until she almost walked into Inuyasha.  
  
"Oh, my Lord..." she spoke to him, "...your still here."  
  
"Why wouldn't I be?" Inuyasha asked.  
  
"Forgive my rudeness, but we all thought you had... supposedly... run away." She answered.  
  
"What ever gave you that idea?" Inuyasha asked, his temper began to rise.  
  
The maid grew scared at his tone of voice changed, she gave a quick bow, "My Lord, I am but a humble servant, I only know what I overhear from others." With that line, she hurried past him, almost at a run.  
  
Inuyasha was fuming. He knew Sesshomaru had some part in this, he was sick of it all. Inuyasha turned and hastily walked toward the thrown room. 'If Sesshomaru was anywhere in the palace, he was there.' Inuyasha thought.  
  
Inuyasha's eyes narrowed as he stood out in front of the throne room doors. Normally, he would knock, but this time he owed his brother no kind of respect.  
  
Inuyasha slammed his fists on the solid wood, but they didn't budge. They had been locked from the inside! Inuyasha sneered, 'This won't keep me out.' He thought.  
  
Inuyasha backed up slightly, and then with a cry he ran at the doors with his right shoulder down. The thick wooden doors, cracked and splintered as Inuyasha hit them. Inuyasha created a hole and slipped through.  
  
"Sesshomaru!" he yelled as he entered the room. His voice echoed off of the solid walls. Inuyasha ran down the red carpet that led to the royal platform. His golden eyes searched for his brother. Inuyasha was slightly out of breath, and so his fangs hung out of his half opened mouth, making him look vicious and wild.  
  
"Where are you, you bastard?" He yelled out.  
  
"...Inuyasha..." said an almost dead voice from behind his left shoulder. The voice was not that of Sesshomaru, it was a woman's voice. She stood in the shadow of the silk curtains.  
  
Inuyasha turned to look at the shadowed figure. She slowly came into the light. Inuyasha sighed when he saw that it was Kikyou.  
  
He ran up to her and grabbed her shoulders, giving her a slight shake. "What did you tell him Kikyou? What did you say?"  
  
Kikyou began to pout and whimper, "I had to tell him Inuyasha! That Siren had you in a trance, she was gonna turn you into one of her mindless sea slugs."  
  
"You fool!" Inuyasha snapped, "She'd never do that!"  
  
"Can you be so sure little Inuyasha?" Came another voice from above him.  
  
Inuyasha turned to see Sesshomaru standing up on the alter, beside the royal throne. He had one hand on the back of the jeweled chair. Inuyasha hadn't noticed, but his fathers crown lay on the chair's velvet red cushion.  
  
"From what Kikyou has told me, you have allowed yourself to be placed under the spell of a Siren." Sesshomaru continued. He seemed to be making fun of Inuyasha.  
  
"I was not under a spell!" Inuyasha sneered.  
  
"Inuyasha..." Sesshomaru said, as he walked in front of the thrown and looked down at Inuyasha like he held superior power over him. "I am very disappointed in you. You have been making such progress with your training. You are slowly finding the true powers of your demon abilities. I thought you could handle a simple Siren spell... but clearly you're too weak."  
  
Inuyasha growled, "You're so full of shit Sesshomaru! What are you trying to accomplish by saying this?"  
  
"Temper, temper... Inuyasha" Sesshomaru mocked. "You leave me with only one choice. Father and I used to talk about his when you were little, as a possible way for you to fully express you demon abilities."  
  
"What are you saying?" Inuyasha asked.  
  
"I have decided that you should relocate yourself to the summer palace for some intensive training. And besides, the summer palace is further inland... it will keep you from falling under more Siren spells." He laughed slightly at this comment.  
  
"What will the summer palace accomplish for me?" Inuyasha said.  
  
"I will see that you will seek only the 'best' training from some 'friends' I know there." Sesshomaru said.  
  
Inuyasha didn't trust his brother, 'Why would he send me off for training to get stronger? It didn't make sense. Did he really want Inuyasha to improve more?'  
  
Inuyasha cocked his head, "What's the catch?"  
  
Sesshomaru slightly smiled, "Oh dearest little brother... do you think I... your own brother... would be out to get you? Don't be immature. This is a good...'growing process' for you."  
  
Inuyasha was still unsure. "How long do I have to remain there?" he asked.  
  
"As long as necessary." Sesshomaru said.  
  
"Why are you suddenly telling me this now?" Inuyasha asked.  
  
"I though you might ask that... I had tried to encourage father, may he rest in peace, to send you earlier in your life. But he didn't feel you where ready. And now that father's opinion doesn't really matter anymore... I though you would like to take part in this opportunity." Sesshomaru said.  
  
This statement burned Inuyasha, "How can you say that about our father?" he yelled.  
  
Sesshomaru growled, "Our father was a fool, especially when it came to you. If it would have been up to me, you would have been gone a long time ago. But father took pity on you because... well... because you are what you are..."  
  
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Inuyasha roared, he took a step forward toward Sesshomaru.  
  
"Miss Kikyou, if you please." Sesshomaru said.  
  
Suddenly, Kikyou pulled out her bow and fitted an arrow into the string. She took quick, careful aim and let her arrow fly at Inuyasha.  
  
"Whaa..." Inuyasha said.  
  
The arrow struck Inuyasha in the chest, he flew across the room with the arrow, as it pinned him to the wall.  
  
Inuyasha wasn't dead, only paralyzed to the spot. Inuyasha tried to reach his other arm up and pull the arrow out, but it glowed with a haunting pink color and couldn't be removed.  
  
Kikyou's priestess powers held him to the spot; her sacred arrow could not be removed unless she removed it.  
  
"Kikyou..." Inuyasha said weakly, "But, I thought..."  
  
Kikyou's eyes filled with tears, "I'm sorry Inuyasha. I have to do this, please forgive me."  
  
Inuyasha looked up to see Sesshomaru disappear and appear directly in front of him. It was his full demon blood that made his so fast.  
  
"I'm sorry to say, but I do not share father's sympathy for half breeds." Sesshomaru said.  
  
"You bastard, how are you supposed to go through with this? There are eyes all around the palace... they will know I'm gone..." Inuyasha weakly said.  
  
"Not if you're gone for 'training'." Sesshomaru said.  
  
"Fuck you..." Inuyasha sneered.  
  
"You have a nasty mouth..." Sesshomaru said. "I think it needs to be corrected."  
  
Inuyasha watched with wide eyes as Sesshomaru balled up his fist, pulled his arm back and swung... and then Inuyasha's world went black.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kagome arrived home a little after nightfall. She had taken her time, she was in no hurry. She was enjoying her thoughts, her thoughts about Inuyasha.  
  
She darted through the water, spinning and doing flips. 'I kissed him! I can't believe I actually kissed him! I mean... it didn't mean anything... I was saving his life... but still... I kissed Inuyasha!!' She had butterflies in her stomach. Her face was flushed and her eyes glowed.  
  
Kagome sung to herself the whole way home. The sea life listened as the happy princess sung her sweet songs. Her voice was so powerful and beautiful. Her voice made the waves shimmer. And her song were not songs of death or deceit, but sung of fun and games.  
  
Kagome entered the coral palace and swam passed groups of other merfolk, who stopped to stare at her.  
  
"What's with her?" one asked.  
  
"I swear, ever since she has been spending so much time alone... she seems happier." Another said.  
  
"Maybe she's in love?"  
  
"Does the King know?"  
  
"Maybe it's a forbidden love!"  
  
Rumors spread like wildfire. But no one really understood what the princess was feeling. She didn't even know, but whatever it was... she liked the feeling.  
  
Kagome swam to the royal quarters; she knocked at her father's bedroom door. A servant answered and let her in.  
  
The King was getting his portrait painted when Kagome entered.  
  
"And a Good afternoon to you father dearest!" Kagome called to him in her sing-song voice.  
  
The king's eyes flashed at his happy daughter.  
  
"Kagome, what puts you in such a happy mood?" the king asked, trying not to move.  
  
Kagome blushed, but she tried to cover it up. "Why what ever do you mean father?" she asked sweetly.  
  
"I do believe the tides have changed on my Kagome." The King answered.  
  
Kagome didn't hear him or wasn't paying attention. "Grand Master Painter, may we finish some other time? I would like to have a few words with the Princess." The king said.  
  
"Of course sir." The royal painter echoed. His attendants helped him gather up his supplies and they all bowed politely and left the room.  
  
Once the doors were shut, the King glanced over at his daughter, who was looking at her reflection in the looking glass.  
  
Kagome never used to bother with her appearance before, but for some reason, her hair looked terrible today.  
  
The King smiled at his daughter, 'And to think,' he thought, 'I wanted a boy.'  
  
The King looked at his daughter, and he noticed something different about her color.  
  
"Kagome dear, you seem tanner. Have you been spending time at the surface?" the King asked.  
  
Kagome's heart jumped. "Um, yes I have been Father. The whales are migrating again... and I have been playing with the new whale pups."  
  
"Taking a sudden interest in whale migration my Dear?" the king asked.  
  
"Well, the whales don't come around these parts very often... and I love listening to them sing their love songs." Kagome answered.  
  
"Are you, yourself, singing any love songs?" The king inquired.  
  
"Oh, Father, I just haven't found the right merman yet." Kagome answered.  
  
"That because you chase every merman who takes an interest in you away." The king said.  
  
"Feh." Kagome said. Then she thought, 'Geez, I sound like Inuyasha...'  
  
"Kagome, dearest..." the King said quietly, "I wanted to wait until you where older to give you this... but I feel that you have grown into a merwoman faster than anyone I know." The king said.  
  
Kagome eyed her father, he never was this sincere. "What is it Father?" she asked.  
  
The King almost looked like he was about to cry. He rose quietly, and swam to the opposite side of the room. He latched the lock on the entrance, and then turned to Kagome, "Follow me my Dear."  
  
Kagome followed, hesitantly. Her father swam back towards the west wall of his room. The wall was bare except for a woven tapestry of Kagome's family tree that had belonged to the King's mother, Kagome's grandmother.  
  
The King pushed the tapestry aside, revealing the bare rock wall. With a slight swish of his left hand over the walls surface, pieces of the wall began to glow a bright green color. The green lights flashed in an array of patterns, before finally settling on three different pieces of the wall... each side by side of one another, with only a small gap between.  
  
The King lifted his left hand again and chose the first colored section. Tapping it once, the glow disappeared, and was replaced by a red glow.  
  
Then the King tapped the last green section and that one turned red as well. Next, his fingers tapped the center and last green panel, turning it red like the others. But then, he pressed the center/middle panel again, and it glowed blue.  
  
Once the middle panel glowed blue, the wall came alive. A beam of light in the shape of a square appeared on the wall the light grew brighter and brighter until the whole square was filled with the light. Then, just as quickly as it had increased in brightness, the light disappeared, revealing a large square hole in the wall.  
  
Kagome watched with amazement as the wall flashed the colors. She never even knew this wall was so special. The black hole in the wall looked like a hidden passageway and the lights must have represented a secret code of some sort.  
  
Kagome's mind flashed back to her childhood. All she could remember was when...  
  
*Flashback*  
  
Her father would bring her into his room and show her this tapestry. Kagome would swim up and follow the tree's roots with her small fingers until she landed on her birth.  
  
"See this spot, Kagome." He would say to her, "That is you. You are the first princess of over a century of princes. My grandfather, your great- grandfather, had all boys, as did my father, but I was blessed with a girl. Your life and your decisions will shape the future of our family tree. Who ever you marry, their family will become part of our family, but they will never be full royal blooded, you might very well be the last fully royal blooded Princess."  
  
*End Flashback*  
  
'The last fully royal blooded...' those words echoed in Kagome's mind. They took a new meaning to her now, as her father swam into the wall and disappeared behind the dark, black hole.  
  
"Come Kagome." He spoke softly to her.  
  
Kagome was hesitant, but she followed her father through the dark portal.  
  
Kagome found herself in a low ceiling passageway that extended deep into pitch darkness. Kagome kept her eyes on her father's fin as he swam just a few feet ahead of her. The passage was not big enough for the two to swim side by side.  
  
Kagome found nothing interesting to look at as the passageway extended further and further. The walls were bare and plain. The water pressure began to increase around Kagome, 'we must be traveling underground.' She thought to herself.  
  
Suddenly, the King stopped. Kagome peered around his thick body, and could see a faint outline of a door. A crack of light emanated from around the door's frame. The King pushed on the wooden door and then held it open for Kagome to enter.  
  
As Kagome entered, her yaw dropped. The room was lit with two magnificent crystal chandeliers; above each candle's wick was a royal blue flame. Which gave the room a cool, yet bright light.  
  
"Those are called chandeliers," the King said, as he noticed Kagome was looking up at them. "The bright blue light is called fire. On land fire is an orange-red color and is hotter than the sun's rays. I call this fire, 'blue fire' because it is not hot."  
  
"How is it made?" Kagome asked swimming up towards the chandeliers and staring into the blue fire. She poked at the blue flame with a curious finger. It was cold around her finger and sent shivers down her spine.  
  
The King smiled, "by magic my Dear."  
  
Kagome looked at her father awkwardly and then swam around the great room. The walls had been carved into deep shelves and every shelf had an array of items on it.  
  
"What is all this stuff?" Kagome asked her father.  
  
"Land items..." her father answered, "Things that land creatures use."  
  
Kagome's mind drifted to Inuyasha as she picked up a spoon and held it up into the light, she could see her reflection in it, but it was a weird reflection, the object made her nose look huge. 'I wonder what Inuyasha used this thing for?' Kagome thought, 'it certainly isn't a looking glass, your face is all distorted.'  
  
"That is a spoon, Kagome" the King told her. "It's used to cook with."  
  
Kagome thought it was weird item. 'Why cook with something so oddly shaped.' She wondered.  
  
"Kagome," the King called, "Come here, I need to show you this."  
  
Kagome left the spoon and swam over to her father. Along the wall hung many long, thin, and shiny objects. Each of these things had a long shaft, and a guilded handle.  
  
"Oh, what are these?" Kagome asked wide eyed.  
  
"Together they are called swords. But each sword has a specific name." The king explained.  
  
"What are they used for?" Kagome asked.  
  
"For war, my Dear." The King answered. "These swords may not look like much but they have secret hidden powers that come alive when they are used."  
  
"What kinds of land creatures use swords?" Kagome asked.  
  
"Any kind of land creature," her father said, "But only ones who believe in humans, can wield them. Demons most of all."  
  
"Demons?!?" Kagome asked, 'Inuyasha!' she thought.  
  
"Yes, Kagome, Demons. Demons are a breed of land creature that have incredible powers of strength and speed. They are violent individuals that have ruled over the land for over a millennium."  
  
'Violent?' Kagome thought, 'Inuyasha isn't violent...'  
  
"This sword right here," the King spoke pointing to an old rusted sword with a red handle. "Its blade is made out of a demon bone. It is perhaps the most dangerous sword of all..."  
  
"Then why do you have it?" Kagome asked.  
  
"I'm protecting it, Kagome."  
  
"From what?" she asked.  
  
"From anyone... anyone who wants to use it to rule over others." The King said.  
  
"The demon royal family would give their first born to have this sword back in their possession. But they do not know where it lays, hidden." The King said his voice trailed off.  
  
"How did you get this sword Father?" Kagome asked.  
  
"I didn't get it. My great grandfather did. Back when merfolk and land creatures got into a war."  
  
Kagome didn't understand, "What war, Father? We never have been in a war, we are a peaceful people."  
  
"Kagome," he began, "It's time you learned a little about your family history."  
  
Kagome felt like she didn't even know the merman standing in front of her. How could he not tell her everything since the first day she was born?  
  
"My great-grandfather, his name being King Hiead, was king over the merpeople at this particular time. During this time, Merfolk had the power to split their fin and walk on land for a sun and a moon every time the tide would change. Meaning every full moon. It was common for Merfolk to be seen in and out of the water. Demons and Merfolk as well as all other land creatures lived in harmony with one another. Yet, Demons always saw themselves superior to every race around them. Then the Demon race began to intertwine with the human race, creating a half breed species. Soon demon's and merfolk began to intertwine in relationships, and as a result merfolk gained the powers to transform into 'beasts of the water' and demons gained the ability to breath underwater. Yet the blood types did not mix. No demon- mermaid child survived past the age of seven snows. At first it wasn't a problem. Merfolk usually stuck with Merfolk and Demons stayed with other Demons. But then King Hiead's son and a demoness (female demon) who happened to be the daughter of the demon royal family, they both fell in love, a deeper love then ever existed.  
  
Anyway, as time went on, the couple finally got together and consumed a son. The son was now heir to two great dynasties. The baby prince lived to be only four snows old when he died. Both Demon and Merfolk blamed the other's rotten blood for the death of the little prince. And a huge feud rose up between the worlds.  
  
Then, one night, the greatest mystery happened. Both the King Hiead's son and the demoness princess were murdered; and on the same night no less. Evidence proved that the Hiead's son was killed by a demon, although history doesn't tell us who, and the demoness was killed by a merfolk, their identity also unknown.  
  
Well, that just about ended the peace between the worlds. War was inevitable. The war dragged on for over ten years. The battles dwindled down to nothing but geographical advantages. The merfolk owned the water, the Demons owned the land. Then, slowly but surly the war just stopped. The merfolk stayed beneath the surface of the water, and the demons stayed on land."  
  
"So... there was no winner?" Kagome asked.  
  
"It depends on the way you look at it." The king continued. "It turned into a kind of 'Cold War' between the nations. The demons grew stronger and the merfolk grew more powerful with our Siren powers and spells.  
  
Then, of course, the Age of Humans was on the horizon. And the Demons had new problems to worry about. As did the Merfolk. Miko's developed ancient forms of healing and prayer. Miko priestess' became guardian's over villages, and the Demons turned to living in forests or ruling over small kingdoms."  
  
"But, I still don't understand." Kagome said, "Why was the couple killed? I mean, I understand that the little prince was killed because his body couldn't handle the different blood types. But why kill the parents... they had no control over their son's blood."  
  
"Ahh, yes my dear," the King said, "There was something missing. Something that the murders wanted, that they didn't find when they killed their targets."  
  
The King left Kagome and swam over to the far south wall, opened a small box, and removed something that Kagome couldn't see. A noise that sounded like wind chimes sounded in Kagome's ears.  
  
The King held the object in his big hand, which Kagome could tell was connected to a black wire.  
  
"This object really did belong to the Merpeople. It was our greatest treasure. When the prince was killed, he didn't have the object with him. So therefore it wasn't found. The Demons wanted the object because it could grant wishes. Anything that was desired could simply be wished for and it would be granted."  
  
The King looked down at the object in his closed hand. He released his fingers and Kagome gazed down at something she almost thought was a joke for a second.  
  
It was a small, pink colored, jewel. About the size of a spatice.  
  
"This is the object, the Shikon no tama Jewel..." The King said. "When King Hiead's son died, he wished on the jewel to bring him back. But the jewel only brings back the dead if the dead want to be brought back. The son didn't want to leave his love, which was dead with him. So he chose to remain dead. The King was furious that the Jewel was powerless, so using his power; he shattered the Jewel into thousands of tiny fragments. The shards flew all over the Great Ocean, imbedding themselves in plants, sea creatures, rocks, and other merfolk. It became the royal duty of every King to help collect all of the shards once again. All the way up until now, a few months ago, I found the very last shard. And now the jewel is complete."  
  
Kagome glared at the whole pink jewel that rested in the palm of her father's hand.  
  
The King swam over to his daughter and placed the jewel, attached to the black cord around her neck; it fell just in between her breasts.  
  
Kagome looked down at the jewel around her neck. "Why are you giving it to me?" she asked.  
  
The King cupped the edge of her face in his hand. "My sweet Kagome, I believe that the jewel was meant to be yours. I think you were meant to be its guardian." The King smiled down on his daughter.  
  
Kagome was speechless. "But why me?" she asked again.  
  
"Because Kagome, I am to old to watch over the jewel anymore. You are the first MerPrincess in over a century. I believe that the mermen were meant to find the shards, but now that is complete, the mermaid is meant to protect it."  
  
Kagome nodded her head. She felt a huge weight place itself on her shoulders. But Kagome had always felt that she was, in some way, able to complete many great things in her life.  
  
"I will protect it, Father. I will keep it safe." She answered him.  
  
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Phew! Long chapter... anywho... don't worry I'll update soon! I know your all worried about Inuyasha... hehe... Chapter 9 coming soon... oh yea... and if you like what your reading... don't forget to Review!! ; ) 


	9. Review Notes and Thank you's

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Hello to All my beautiful readers, this isn't a chapter of my story... I know I know... I'm sorry.... But this IS however a "Thank You section" and a "Questions and Comments" section for the story. I'm very behind of answering to all my reviewers... so I'm doing it here and now... so find your Pen Name and read what I have to say...  
  
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v4n3s5aCH4N- I'm soo glad your enjoying my little story... thanks for your review and keep on reading!!  
  
DarkMiko05- Don't worry your not nagging... I'm working as quickly as I can... I'll have chapter 9 up before the weekend is over with... maybe even chapter 10 if I'm not to busy... thanks for reviewing!!  
  
Victoria- I'm afraid I can't answer your question... you will just have to read and find out... lol... I'll give you a hint... well... no wait I can't it'll ruin it... just keep reading!! Thanks for the review!!  
  
Sailor_Saturn- Thanks for the wonderful comment... you made me blush... I'm not that good... lol... I'm sure you've seen better... especially if you live with a writer... but thanks for the review and I'll continue my good work... ; )  
  
Danielle- don't worry you'll find out soon!! Be patient please!! LoL  
  
Redroses- I'm glad your enjoying my story... if you have any questions tell me... I don't really know how to summarize chapter 8 for you... but if you ask me individual questions I can try and answer those for you ok? Thanks for reviewing!!  
  
Punkkagome- Darn you... -.-* you found out my plan... I didn't think anyone would recognize the Splash comment... lol but I guess it kinda fits in... I didn't really intend it to be so much like the little mermaid/ Splash... but that kinda happens with mermaid stories... thanks for reviewing... more to come!!  
  
Cynic X- I'm happy that you totally loved it... keep reading and enjoy : )  
  
Loving-miko-to-hanyou- Nope Inuyasha doesn't have a tail... but what a good idea!! OoOoOo... that gives me an idea... hehe thanks!  
  
Inuyashalover009- Thanks for reviewing... I didn't originally intend for the story to be so much like the little mermaid... but it just kinda happened... I'm trying to make it different so that I'm not stealing Disney's idea...  
  
Demon Girl- I KNOW ITS SOO GOOD AND I WILL DO ANOTHER CHAPTER I PROMIS!!  
  
SilentSlayer- I would think some Kikyou bashers out there would like that part. I'm not saying I hate Kikyou... but geez... you'd think she'd just die already? Anywho, yes that evil voice is Naraku... how did you ever guess?? Lol Thanks for reviewing... more to come!!  
  
Keeper-of-the-triforce- Yes, they are... cute that is...  
  
Kagome Fujamia- I'm glad you love my story... I love you for loving my story... more to come just hold on please... hehe  
  
Suicidal hamster- sorry... don't worry nothing will happen to Inuyasha... at least... I don't think so... ; )  
  
Inuyashafreak337- Tell your owl to leave me alone!! I'll update I'll update I swear... just please call off your owl!! : )  
  
Watergoddesskasey- Thanks I will... ; )  
  
DevilWench- what's incredibly cute? Me or the story?? lol just playing!! I know it's me... lol  
  
Golden_Tuna- Yes, I agree Inu&Kag forever and ever and ever and ever and ever... I'm happy you are enjoying my story... : )  
  
Nanaka11- Hey Ginger baby!! Thanks for being there for me with this story... and try not to be too bored in newspaper lol... You didn't tell me that you changed your Pen Name... lol i like it... love you babe!! 


	10. Chapter 9

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Hello to Everyone! Ok I promised you all chapter 9 so here it is... I hope you all enjoyed your review replies... : )  
  
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Kagome lay on her bed gazing up at the ceiling. The jewel lay lightly on her chest. Her mind was full of questions yet she was in a complete state of calmness.  
  
She mostly thought about Inuyasha.  
  
Her father couldn't have been serious when he said that demons were dangerous. Inuyasha wasn't dangerous. He was... sweet... in his own personal way.  
  
Yet, demons and merpeople... mortal enemies? It didn't seem logical. How could Inuyasha and her get along so well if their pasts hated each other?  
  
But then, did Inuyasha know that? Was he trying to get on her good side, and then attack her one day and kill her?  
  
Kagome shook her head, 'No it can't be! Inuyasha would never do that! Why am I even questioning myself?'  
  
But... would he? He is a demon. And... demons can't be trusted... could they?  
  
For the first time in her life, Kagome wished that she had never met Inuyasha. Then she wouldn't have this problem.  
  
His rash character made him so hard to understand sometimes. Could he really have been lying to her this whole time?  
  
Kagome sat up and looked at her refection in her looking glass that hung on the opposite wall.  
  
The jewel glistened slightly in the low light.  
  
Kagome grasped it with her hand and placed it against her heart.  
  
'Sacred Jewel, if that is in fact what you are,' she wished to herself, 'Guide my thoughts, and tell me the truth about demons...'  
  
She held her breath and waited.  
  
Nothing happened.  
  
She took a deep breath and concentrated harder. She tightened her shut eyelids.  
  
Still nothing happened.  
  
Kagome opened her eyes slowly, and looked down at the object in her clenched fist.  
  
'Why don't you work?' she spoke to the lifeless jewel.  
  
The jewel just stared back up at her.  
  
Kagome began to shake with anger. She pulled her arm back, with the jewel clenched in her fist, and began to gain potential energy in her arm.  
  
Her rage boiled as she flung her arm, and sent the jewel flying out of her hand, and into the air.  
  
Just as the jewel left her finger tips, it began to glow.  
  
Kagome caught the glow out of the corner of her eye. She reached out to try and catch the flung jewel, but it was too late. The jewel soared through the water, towards the solid rock wall.  
  
It would certainly shatter against the wall.  
  
'No! I'm such a fool!' Kagome thought to herself.  
  
With an outstretched, empty hand Kagome shouted to the flying jewel, "Oh! Stop jewel! Stop!"  
  
All at once, the jewel obeyed. It stopped in dead water, and hovered a few inches away from the wall it was about to collide into.  
  
Kagome's couldn't believe it. The jewel did obey her, it recognized her.  
  
"Return..." Kagome squeaked out.  
  
The jewel glided through the water and into her awaiting hand. Kagome stared at the jewel in her palm, once again.  
  
She tried again, this time she spoke clear and with all her heart to the jewel.  
  
"Sacred Jewel, show me what really happened that night the lovers were killed." Kagome spoke.  
  
The jewel listened and obeyed. It lit up and then rose a few inches off of her palm. The light reflected in Kagome's brown eyes. Kagome let out a soft coo to the lights beauty and brightness.  
  
The light was warm and inviting, Kagome felt herself slip into the deep past of the jewels power. She was weightless, as the swirling jewel took over her mind and tore a portal into time.  
  
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An aura of power reached the senses of a man dressed in an ape suit. He lifted his head, and stared in its direction.  
  
"Ahh, yes I sense you now. My precious... (Author's note: Think about the Lord of the Rings... lol...) You're awake...yes you're alive now...wait for me... wait for Naraku."  
  
With that remark he stood up and ran in the direction of the water. His ape suit flying behind him. His speed was astonishing. Within seconds he reached the glimmering water. He stopped and glanced at the shimmering water.  
  
Then, with a sneer, he walked slowly into the waves, before fully disappearing under the dark water.  
  
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Kagome hadn't realized that what had happened until she heard voices coming from in the same room she was present in.  
  
Kagome looked for a place to hide, but the room was unfamiliar to her. It was furnished with items she had never seen before.  
  
Kagome heard a woman's voice. And then she heard the creak of a door open.  
  
Kagome froze, and dared not to breathe.  
  
A woman entered the room through the door, looked in Kagome's direction, but did not acknowledge Kagome's presence. She hurried to a window that was behind Kagome.  
  
Kagome watched as the woman pushed on the window and it opened. Kagome could see out of it, from where she was standing, it overlooked a magnificent garden, lit by a million stars and a great yellow crescent moon.  
  
The woman pushed her head out the open window and looked out at the emptiness. She removed a piece of cloth that was tied around her neck and then tied it to the window pane. A slight wind blew and the cloth whipped in the wind, but it was tied firmly to the window pane. Then the woman turned and pulled her head back inside the window. Kagome gasped when she saw the woman's features.  
  
She was dressed in a simple, yet elegant dress which draped over her shoulders and was tied with a red tassel, around the waist. Her entire body was covered was a very pale white color. It almost looked like a white layer of soft fur.  
  
She had two light blue eyes, which were accented with black streaks around her eyes. As well as two dark purple colored lines on the side of her chin.  
  
The woman did not look human. She looked allot like Inuyasha. Kagome continued to watch as the woman sat down, and looked at her reflection in a looking glass. She reached up behind her head, and undid her hair, which had been tied up in a fancy knot. Her hair, when released from the knot, fell down almost to the floor.  
  
Kagome jealously glared at the woman's hair, it was a deep silver color, yet it had sections that seemed to be pure spun gold. As her hair fell, a pair of ears appeared from within the precious locks. Kagome watched as the woman ran her clawed fingers through her hair. Then the woman stopped fussing with her hair and just stared at her reflection in the looking glass. She looked nervous.  
  
Kagome took the time, to stare around the room. It was so strange. The walls were colored and were adorned with paintings, and many looking glasses. Everything seemed to be bright, shinny, and clean.  
  
Kagome guessed that the woman could not see her. So she began to move around the room. Glaring at the objects in it. Some of the objects she recognized. She had seen them, that one brief time, which her father had showed her his secret grotto.  
  
Kagome didn't understand, if the objects were here... then wouldn't Kagome have to be... on land?  
  
Kagome looked down at her body, and she screamed at what she saw. Kagome covered her mouth as she screamed, maybe the woman heard her? With a quick glance Kagome saw that the woman was still staring at herself in the looking glass.  
  
The woman couldn't hear her either.  
  
Kagome brought her eyes to look back down at her own body. Kagome had changed. She no longer had a fish-tail, instead, two smooth legs held the rest of Kagome's body up.  
  
Kagome reached down to touch the legs she now had. Her fingers struck them, but the image did not hold. Her fingers slipped through the skin like it was a hologram.  
  
They were just images. Her whole body was just an image. A ghost image, which held no weight or mass. Kagome was about to cry. But a noise captured her attention. She turned her gaze to the open window. Kagome's eyes widened as a man stood, clutching the window's edge. His chest was bare, and he had shoulder-length brown hair. His bare chest was covered with scars. But his eyes were kind; they were so deep brown, that they almost looked black.  
  
His striking beauty caught Kagome by surprise. She stared, wide eyed, as the man entered through the window and approached the seated woman.  
  
Kagome's mind shot into reality, she remembered what she had asked the jewel to show her. This was the night the lovers were to be murdered! Kagome could only guess that this woman was the demon princess and that the man approaching her was her assassin.  
  
Kagome wanted to scream out and warn the woman. But it would prove nothing, her voice could not be heard, she was only a ghost.  
  
To Kagome's surprise, the man, gently placed his hands on the shoulders of the woman, and began to rub them, lovingly. With a sweep of his hand, he pushed her hair away from around her neck, leaned in, and began to lightly kiss her along her long white neck.  
  
Kagome understood now, this was the pair, the pair of forbidden lovers. The man was the MerPrince, taken on a human form for the night. Kagome smiled at the lovers.  
  
The woman turned stood up and faced the merprince. The merprince took her in his arms, and they both stood together for a long time.  
  
Then the woman spoke, her voice quiet and dreamy, "I can't go on anymore... I can't keep hiding this... I can't..."  
  
The man turned her chin up and kissed her on the lips. Kagome blushed, and turned away. What had she gotten herself into? But she looked up when she heard a deep, passionate, male voice speak.  
  
"Shh, hush now my love... just rest. I'll hold you here forever."  
  
The woman leaned back against the man's bare chest. Her lip quivered, as she tried to fight back tears.  
  
"...he's dead..." she spoke sadly.  
  
The merprince's breath caught in his throat. Then he sighed and drew the demoness closer to him. His eyes shut tight and he grasped her body.  
  
Tears fell hot, out of Kagome's eyes. She couldn't watch this anymore. She had never seen something so impossible. She never expected this was how it ended.  
  
Kagome turned away from the couple, and stared at the floor. Her tears blurred her vision. Kagome looked up and glanced at the open window, which she now faced.  
  
A hand grasped the window sill...  
  
Kagome jumped, and wiped her eyes, to make sure she was seeing what she thought she saw.  
  
It was real.  
  
Another hand appeared and grasped the window sill as well. Then their grip tightened as an arm and elbow came into view.  
  
Kagome turned to the lovers, "Quick! Your assassin's they come! Please look!" she shouted at them. Kagome rushed at them, and placed her hand on the man's shoulder. Her hand disappeared into his skin. He couldn't feel her!  
  
Kagome whipped her head back around and gasped at the figure that had now pulled himself through the window. He was dreadfully thin, and had stringy long black hair and dead eyes. His body was only slightly hidden behind an animal pelt.  
  
Kagome jumped back, as the stranger drew a blade from within the pelt. With an evil scream, he launched himself at the merprince's exposed back.  
  
The merprince turned around at the sound of the war scream. He caught the evil man's arm, as the blade was centimeters around from his throat. The two were caught in a moment of battling strength.  
  
The demoness had been flung to the ground, and now she stared up at the two men held in a strength battle.  
  
She jumped to her feet, drew her claws and attacked the evil man. She scratched his across the back shoulder blade. Black blood spilled out from the scratch. The evil man screamed in pain. Suddenly, another arm shot out from under the animal pelt and struck the demoness.  
  
Meanwhile, the merprince's strength was failing. When he saw his love get struck, he cried out, "YOUKAI!!" and pushed the assassin with all his strength. The man staggered back a few steps, but caught himself and attacked again, with impossible speed.  
  
The blade held out to skewer the merprince where he stood. The merprince, pulled his hands together in a prayer position, and began to chant a song.  
  
Kagome recognized the song; it was the Song of Bondmen, a powerful spell that bound the person to a solid object for a period of time, but it was not permanent.  
  
An invisible force, stuck the assassin, and he was flung against the far wall. His blade fell from his grip. His body stood bound to the wall.  
  
With a quick movement the merprince grabbed the demoness' hand and dragged her to the open window. She obeyed and followed him.  
  
Kagome suddenly felt her body move. She lifted off the ground and through the wall. She now hovered in the air, and saw the couple at the window.  
  
She watched as the couple exchanged a passionate, yet quick kiss.  
  
The demoness instantly jumped from the window, she flew lightly through the air, and landed gracefully on her feet. It was her demon powers that gave her the ability to fall from three hundred feet to the ground.  
  
She looked back up at her bedroom window. Her merprince had not followed her.  
  
Kagome could see from where she hovered outside that the assassin struck the merprince. The spell had worn off. The assassin must have been extremely strong to be able to fend off that kind of a spell so quickly.  
  
Kagome screamed in horror, as a black sword was thrusted through the merprince's stomach. He gasped briefly, before the assassin pulled the black blade out the merprince's stomach.  
  
The assassin held the blade out and held it beside his body. With a blink of an eye, the assassin struck and the merprince's head separated from his body.  
  
Kagome screamed in horror and pulled her eyes away. Tears filled her eyes, as she continued to scream. She felt her ghost body move again, and as she opened her scared eyes she was standing a few feet away from the demoness that stood on the ground below, looking up at the window.  
  
The demoness cried out as she saw the assassin jump from her window, down to her. His dark sword held directly out in front of him. The demoness made no attempt to move. She knew her fate.  
  
Kagome couldn't see anymore. She couldn't stand it anymore. "ENOUGH!! ENOUGH NO MORE PLEASE NO MORE!! I WANT TO GO HOME... TAKE ME HOME... NO MORE!!!!"  
  
Kagome felt something hit her in the stomach. Her stomach did a flip and shot pain all through Kagome's body.  
  
Kagome felt her body strike something soft. She opened her eyes, and noticed that she lay on her bed... in her own room... in her own time. Kagome pounded her fists against her bed. She cried out and tears splashed out of her eyes. She struck her bed over and over again; she tried to pound out all the violence she had seen.  
  
Attendants rushed into her room; followed by her father... they all ran to her side to comfort her screams.  
  
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No hate mail please... I promise I'll write more!! I promise!! Don't worry, I won't leave you hanging... and next chapter you will find out what happened to Inuyasha as well... 


	11. Chapter 10

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Hello to Everyone!! Ok just real quick I want all my readers to read this!!  
  
I want to extend a huge, warm hug to all of you!! You all rock soo much!! My reviews are 59 !!! I have never had any story go up that high before... in fact... not ever!! Thank you everyone!! I'm so happy that you are enjoying this story. *wipes away a tear*... ok I'm sorry... I promised myself I wouldn't cry... lol but you all are so awesome!! I feel so special... and loved... thanks again, you all are my inspiration to write!!  
  
And now, I'm feeling motivated to write another chapter, because I have so many wonderful reviews... so now I present... CHAPTER 10!!  
  
Oh and just to let you all know... this story is over 21,000 words long... geez, I can't believe I've written that much... and the story isn't even close to being over with yet... *wink wink* ; )  
  
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Ok quick recap, for those who are a little confused...  
  
Kagome has been given the Shikon No Tama and now can fully use its power.  
  
(And for those who didn't understand the scene in the grotto where Kagome was given the jewel, Kagome's father has Tetsugaiga. Just to let you know, because it will come up later.)  
  
She asked the jewel to show her what really happened the night that the Demon's and merfolk became enemies... and the jewel teleported her into the past... and she viewed the violent assassination of the star crossed lovers.  
  
Now she faces an emotional breakdown as she knows the truth... that the lovers were not murdered by merfolk or demons but from the past form of Naraku!!  
  
And in the present, Naraku is heading towards Kagome's kingdom, after he felt her use the jewel's powers and he intends to take what he believes is rightfully his.  
  
Meanwhile, Inuyasha has been knocked out by Sesshomaru, who is now King, and is being taken to... who knows where.  
  
By the way, the ages of the characters at this particular moment are just shy of 13-15... I will tell you when they are at the age of where the series places them... I think in the series Inuyasha is about 18 or something like that. But all let you know if a drastic time span occurs in the story.  
  
Ok I think about sums it up. If you have any questions don't forget to ask in your review... : )  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A creaky, old, manure cart is seen traveling down a dusty road. A human with a long, gray beard holds the reins weakly in his hands; he is slumped over with age. The single ox pulling the cart is also half dead, and is barely moving at all.  
  
The hot air, makes the steam of the manure spread all around the cart, and as the cart passes people hold their noses and boo.  
  
As the cart reaches the outskirts of the village homes, it stops just before a grove of tall trees.  
  
The old man, weakly drops the reins and releases a handle to his left. The cart unhitches from the ox. The man then pulls the ox back in the other direction.  
  
The ox's hind legs stand directly under the lip of the wooden cart. With a piece of bamboo, the old man smacks the ox on the rear calf. The ox bellows, and kicks backward with his hind, hoofed legs.  
  
The old cart topples over, and the manure is spilled out. It forms a huge pile at the base of a tree.  
  
With all his remaining strength the old man pushes the cart back right side up. He attaches the cart to his ox, climbs aboard, and the ox and cart begin to slowly walk away from the dumped material.  
  
Flies and gnats, that had been following the cart, now ascend on the pile of dung. The air is still, as the buzzing of wings is faintly heard.  
  
Suddenly, the mountain of manure begins to slightly move, a clawed hand appears from beneath the brown muck.  
  
A faint moan is heard, from within the pile.  
  
Then a roar...  
  
A figure explodes out of the compost. Cussing under his breath, he wipes away his soiled hair from around his eyes.  
  
The figure is Inuyasha, a very smelly... Inuyasha.  
  
Inuyasha sneers and curses as he tries to shake off the manure that had caked itself to his clothing, hair, and skin.  
  
With a flash of his golden eyes, Inuyasha glances around. The spot is unknown to him.  
  
'Where the hell am I?' he wondered. His lip curls in anger as he begins to remember what had happened before he passed out.  
  
Inuyasha felt the spot where Kikyou's arrow had hit him. The wound had not healed itself, it could still open up again.  
  
Inuyasha suddenly realized that he was in pain. His whole body ached, and to make things worse... he had a pounding headache. And the horrid smell of manure wasn't helping. His sensitive nose picked up every scent. It made him want to gag.  
  
Inuyasha began to walk down the dusty path. He seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. Everything was unfamiliar to his senses.  
  
How he longed to get back to his brother, and seek revenge!  
  
Inuyasha continued to walk down the path, as the sun set in the sky.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kagome felt better, she had probably been crying for hours, before she finally stopped. She now lay, again, on her bed.  
  
Her father and attendants had left a little while ago, after they realized that she was ok.  
  
Kagome's mind flashed back to when they first entered.  
  
~*~*~*~* Flash Back *~*~*~*~  
  
"Princess Kagome!! What ails you?!? Princess Kagome!!" the attendants shouted.  
  
"Kagome!" her father shouted to her.  
  
Kagome just pounded her fists against her bed, and cried harder. She knew! She knew the truth! And the truth was more than she could bear.  
  
As Kagome heard them enter, she turned defensive. She drew a deep breath, and shot a sonic note into the water.  
  
The attendants grabbed for their ears and hunched over in pain. But, the King kept moving closer to Kagome.  
  
When he finally reached her, under the loud booming of her voice in his ears, he clasped a hand over her mouth.  
  
Kagome still continued to sing under her father's stifling hand. But finally she stopped, and began to cry again.  
  
The King looked at his daughter with concerned eyes. He watched as she lay, weak and in tears.  
  
He looked her up and down and gently rubbed her back. His eyes fell onto the Sacred Jewel that lay on the bed next to her. He reached for it, but Kagome felt his movement and snatched it.  
  
The King was shocked at his daughter. She was being so protective, something had happened, and it went terribly wrong.  
  
He looked at her face again, as she held the jewel close to her cheek. The reflection of her eyes could be seen on the surface of the jewel.  
  
The King spoke softly to her, "Kagome, dearest, what happened?"  
  
"It's wrong! It's all wrong, that's not what happened. She was murdered! He tried to save her! It's wrong... wrong... wrong..." Kagome cried, but her voice grew softer.  
  
The King looked into his daughters eyes, he could see something. Something he had never seen before... fear. She was scared into a nervous breakdown.  
  
Kagome lay back down on her bed. Attendants swarmed around her, with concerned eyes, they did not know what to give her.  
  
The King frowned and then spoke to them, "Leave now, she needs to rest... obey and leave!" He pointed a finger towards the door.  
  
The attendants bowed and swam out single file. The King wiped Kagome's hair out of her eyes. And then got up and left her alone. The door shut behind them. And Kagome was alone again.  
  
~*~*~*~* End Flashback *~*~*~*~  
  
Kagome felt alone... alone with her thoughts... alone with her memories. She looked at the jewel, which lay around her neck again.  
  
"Do I deserve this pain?" she asked it softly.  
  
The jewel only lay still. Its simple pink colored seemed to mock Kagome.  
  
She sighed and returned to staring at her ceiling.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Night had long since set in. The moon was almost into a new moon. Only about one or two more nights.  
  
"Crap..." Inuyasha said, when he thought about it.  
  
The little 'path' that Inuyasha had been following...he had long since lost. The darkness made it impossible to see. Inuyasha finally decided it was no use walking around in the dark.  
  
He found a tall tree and climbed it, and then settled down for the night. He didn't feel like sleeping. He felt like punching Sesshomaru in the nose. Inuyasha just growled to himself, crossed his arms and shut his eyes.  
  
His throat was dry, his stomach growled for food, and he smelled like dung. Could it possibly get any worse?  
  
The next time Inuyasha opened his eyes, he shut them again, because the sun blinded him. He opened his golden orbs and took a look around him. He had chosen a small tree to sleep in. The branch he slept on was perhaps the strongest branch of the whole tree.  
  
Inuyasha jumped down and began to gaze around. He had to find some food and water. He continued to walk until he smelled water. The smell led him to a well.  
  
Inuyasha approached the well and peered down the hole. A little water sat in the bottom, about the size of a puddle. He didn't care how much water it was, just the fact that is water was enough for him.  
  
Inuyasha jumped over the well's stone wall, and fell down to the bottom of the well. He approached the puddle and cupped his hand in the water. The water was an ugly brown yellow color. Inuyasha sniffed it again, it smelled like water. But wasn't water clear?  
  
Inuyasha shook off the feeling and swallowed the handful of water. It tasted like dirt and mud. But it coated his dry throat.  
  
As Inuyasha climbed the stones to get out of the well, his ears twitched, he could hear something above him. Inuyasha recognized the smell, it smelled like a human. He continued to climb out of the well.  
  
As he emerged from the top, he carefully glanced out.  
  
With out warning, a large piece of wood flung towards him. Inuyasha let out a yell, and fell back down into the well.  
  
The object broke the wells top, and sent stones raining down on Inuyasha.  
  
After the rocks quieted, he looked up toward the opening; a female-human face stared back down at him.  
  
"Demon!" she called, "Prepare to die!" She unsheathed a sword and threw it down at Inuyasha.  
  
Inuyasha stared, dumbfounded, as the blade fell towards him. With his quick speed he jumped out of the way and leaned against the side of the stone well.  
  
Inuyasha smirked, 'What was this crazy human trying to do? Cut my hair?'  
  
With a giant leap, Inuyasha jumped out of the well and landed in front of the female human.  
  
Before he had a second to secure his footing, the huge wooden object came soaring at him again.  
  
It missed Inuyasha by inches, as he jumped out of the way. He landed, and snarled at his opponent. He charged forward in a frontal attack, his claws out in front.  
  
Suddenly, the huge wooden object came sailing back at him from behind. Inuyasha's ears picked up its sound against the wind, and he dodged it again.  
  
The wooden object was caught by the woman, and she stood ready to throw it again. Inuyasha paused to look at her.  
  
She had long dark hair, which was pulled into a pony tail; she wore red and black armor like clothing, and a mask over her mouth and nose.  
  
The weapon she held was a Hiraikotsu, a giant boomerang.  
  
Inuyasha heard a roar over his shoulder, and turned to see a giant transformed cat youkai. The cat demon swung at Inuyasha with its giant claws. Inuyasha dodged them just slightly.  
  
The arrow wound, inflicted by Kikyou, had since reopened, and now Inuyasha was losing blood fast.  
  
"Give up youkai!" he heard the woman shout, "You can't beat us!"  
  
"Watch me!" Inuyasha growled back.  
  
The woman then slung her Hiraikotsu at Inuyasha, who leaped away. The cat demon attacked again, and Inuyasha bearly missed its huge teeth.  
  
"I don't have time to play with you!" Inuyasha yelled to the pair.  
  
With that comment, he changed directions, and bolted away.  
  
The woman caught her boomerang and called, "Kirara!" The giant cat, turned to its master, who mounted her, and the cat ran on air after Inuyasha.  
  
Inuyasha ran quickly through the brush. He held the open wound on his chest with one hand.  
  
His ears picked up noise behind him. He turned just in time to see the human throw her boomerang from the back of the cat youkai.  
  
Inuyasha moved out of the way, and landed hard on the dirt. The dirt he stirred up choked him, and the pain in his chest was unbearable.  
  
"Shit..." he told himself.  
  
Inuyasha head the sounds of the cat demon not far off. He heard the sound of the woman coughing. The dust was making it hard to breathe and see. Inuyasha took this opportunity and slipped away.  
  
He fled back in the direction he came from, traveling through the tops of the trees, so as to not leave footprints.  
  
The dust began to settle around the woman and her cat youkai. She glanced around, "Looks like we lost him Kirara..." she spoke to her cat demon. With a puff of smoke the cat youkai transformed back down into its smaller self. It meuw'ed softly up at its master.  
  
After a few minutes, Inuyasha realized that he wasn't being followed anymore. He stopped finally, and landed on the ground. 'Crazy woman,' he thought to himself.  
  
By this time the sun was high, and the air was hot. Inuyasha still hadn't eaten anything, and was now again dehydrated. He still smelled like dung and the open arrow wound began to sting as his dirty sweat dripped on it.  
  
He knew complaining would do no good. He had to find a village or town or something where he could get some food.  
  
With a sigh, he continued on his journey to wherever he was going.  
  
(Author's Note: If you couldn't tell the woman was Sango. Don't worry she'll be back.)  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kagome's eyes opened to the sound of an explosion. 'How long have I been sleeping?' she wondered. But more importantly, what was the noise.  
  
Kagome rose out of bed and swam to her window. Merfolk and sea creatures swam in every direction. Another explosion went off. Sand and rock flew in all directions. She could hear screams across the courtyard. A guard swam by Kagome's window. He noticed her and stopped.  
  
"Princess Kagome! Quick yet into the palace, we are under attack!" he shouted to her.  
  
"Where is my father?" Kagome asked. But the guard had swum off.  
  
Kagome swam across her room, and opened her door. The halls were bustling with screaming maids and armed guards.  
  
Kagome squeezed her way through the merpeople, in an attempt to find her father. She traveled down to his room, but it was empty.  
  
Kagome glanced at the tapestry on the wall, before she turned to search in another room.  
  
Kagome's heart was racing. She swam quickly through the hallways and headed for the throne room. Kagome swam through the great arch. And then relaxed, her father stood in the center of a crowd of merpeople, shouting orders as attendants dressed him in armor.  
  
"Father!" Kagome shouted as she swam across the room. The King looked up, as she swam up, "Kagome!" he called to her.  
  
Kagome felt like a little child as she swam up into her father's awaiting arms.  
  
"What's happening father? What's going on?" she asked him.  
  
"We are being attacked." He answered bluntly.  
  
"By who?" Kagome cried.  
  
"Sir, the south wall has just been hit." Called an armed guard from the crowd.  
  
"Death toll at an estimate: 140 merfolk" called another.  
  
The King looked down at Kagome's frightened face. "Kagome, listen to me, I need you to go with a group that is escaping through the underground tunnel."  
  
"No Father! I want to stay with you!" Kagome cried.  
  
"Kagome," her father spoke sternly now, "You cannot stay with me. You need to go where it is safe."  
  
Kagome buried her face in her father's armor. "No, Please, don't make me go! Father please!"  
  
"Stop this Kagome!" her father roared. "Stop crying. You're a big girl you can do this. I promise you, I'll be alright. Now go!"  
  
Her father's rage scared Kagome, she didn't understand. Why wouldn't he comfort her? Why was he sending her away?  
  
A few guards took Kagome by the arms and led her out of the room.  
  
"Your Majesty..." spoke the crowd around him.  
  
The King turned and faced them, "Captain, assemble you men across the main gates. Bind the strongest force field you can hold. We must give the other's time to escape!"  
  
~*~  
  
Among the other mermaids and small merfolk, Kagome was pushed. Fins clashed together and babies cried. Nobody knew who she was, no one cared, everyone was trying to save themselves. Kagome could hear the mermaids talking about the disaster outside...  
  
"... it was this giant explosion, it tore coral beds out of the sand and threw them across the yard, smashing anything in its way: mermaids, mermen, fish, they were all crushed under the monstrous boulders..."  
  
"... hundreds of them, buzzing everywhere! Evil looking things with long blades and talons coming out of their bodies. They slaughtered anything that moved or screamed. I watched as my own daughter was sliced into pieces by the creatures! Then more came to pray on her flesh!"  
  
"... this is the end, to long have we been hidden! Those land creatures have found us! They seek revenge on our blood! Our songs and spells have no effect on their souls. We are doomed!"  
  
Kagome was pressed in between the thousands trying to escape. The tunnel was thin and long. Kagome passed merfolk who were injured and left to die. Some where already dead, their bodies had risen to the roof of the tunnel, unable to float to the surface.  
  
Kagome put her hand to her neck, the Sacred Jewel still hung there. Kagome grasped it with her hand, and prayed that her father was safe.  
  
~*~  
  
Outside, the King had assembled his warriors. They all stood to defend the main gates. The enemy could not be seen under the many explosions happening in the outskirts. The troops stood nervously at attention. The captain's called to their men. "Steady men, steady!" His words were the hardest to obey under the fear and death that lay before them.  
  
As the war settled the enemy emerged. Thousands of them swarmed towards the awaiting warriors.  
  
(Author's Note: In case you're wondering... the thousands of enemies are Naraku's poisonous insects. Yes, those nasty bugs can swim!)  
  
The King shouted to his warriors, "Wait until they are closer before summoning the force field!"  
  
The insects flew closer to the warriors. Their wings beating fast underwater, creating a stream of bubbles behind them.  
  
"NOW! Summon the shield!" the King shouted.  
  
A low hum emitted for the mouths of the mermen. Then they began to mutter ancient words of summoning. A white, almost transparent, shield appeared in front of the warriors.  
  
Hundreds of insects pounded against the force field. Then, they all began to scatter, and find a way around it. More continued to ram against it.  
  
~*~  
  
Up above the fight, Naraku sat on a piece of coral and watched. His insects swarmed around the palace like bees to a hive. A half smile appeared on his hidden face.  
  
"Such ancient power... so stupid. They can't think that this is going to stop me."  
  
Naraku pulled one hand out from underneath his baboon pelt. He extends one finger, his smile grows bigger, "Bye bye wall."  
  
A flash of light emits from his extended finger, it traveled through the water and struck the white wall.  
  
Like a broken window, the wall exploded, and the mermen, within it, cried out in fear. The insects ascended on them. With spears drawn they attacked with a fear in their eyes.  
  
One by one, the line of warriors fell. Soon the last to fall, was the King himself. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ok that's all for Chapter 10... I have to go to bed... I promise you another chapter before the next weekend comes. Oh, and if you want to add to all my wonderful reviews, then review away!! Thanks!! 


	12. Chapter 11

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
I am surprised at the limited amount of hate mail. LoL you guys must really love me : )  
  
OMG... 76 Reviews!!! I love Everyone!!  
  
Anywho, I'm soo sorry for taking such a long time to post Chapter 11... I have AP exams coming up and to make matters worse... I caught a cold... *sniff sniff*... so yea I'm all stuffed up... but I also worked hard on Chapter 11 and its really long...so Enjoy... ; )  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Inuyasha was fed up with walking. He walked and walked and walked but never seemed to get anywhere.  
  
'I swear I passed that tree before..." he thought to himself. But only his stomach growled back at him.  
  
Inuyasha decided it was better to be seen by someone, then walk around blindly. He selected a tall tree and began to climb it  
  
Twigs and leaves slapped him in the face as he climbed through the tree's canopy. He shielded his eyes against the bright sun, as he looked out over the tree line. To his far left there was nothing but the tops of green trees. To his far right, a single lazy hill; this was covered with trees as well.  
  
Inuyasha decided that his objective would be the top of the hill; at least he could see further if he stood on top of it. Inuyasha was worried, perhaps, that he would not make it to the hill. He'd sooner bleed to death, or die of dehydration or famine.  
  
'Might as well try', he thought. He ascended down the trees trunk, and frowned as he began to walk again. He could also feel his human blood growing stronger in his body. Tonight would probably be a new moon. His human body couldn't handle a wound like the one he had, he would certainly not last the night.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The MerKing slowly opened his eyes. His vision was blurry, and his body felt useless. Silence was all around him, not a shout, cry or wail. Before his vision became fully clear, he began to try and rise. But his armor weighed him down, and pain shot up his back.  
  
"If you move, you'll just die faster." Came a threatening voice above his head.  
  
The King regained his full sight and looked upwards. A masked face stared back down at him.  
  
"You put up quite a fight for a peaceful people." The sinister one spoke again. "I have to admit, your ancient spells surprised me, I thought for maybe a second that you had the upper hand; considering that I was attacking you in your own environment. I have to say, I'm not at all enjoying the underwater feeling."  
  
"...you dare mock me...?" the King spoke weakly.  
  
"I dare." The voice answered confidently.  
  
"Then...DIE!!" the King shouted, as he began to utter a spell. His voice held the last letter and it rang out in the water like a sonic blast.  
  
The masked man grabbed for his ears and bent over with pain. His wail echoed just under the King's voice.  
  
But the King's voice did not hold out long, a lump rose in his throat from the pain he was under. And the note was broken.  
  
Once the masked man regained control again, he threw his hand towards the King's neck. With a violent twist, and the sound of crushing bones, he snapped the King's vocal cords. The rich royal merman blood scented the water; the King was left barely alive, but unable to speak. As he lay dying the masked man hissed words into his ears,  
  
"Your songs are ancient, compared to my powers! You die now, and the secrets of your magic die with you! You are but a fool of a creature, and now I soil my hands on your dirty blood! Your race is nothing but humans with flippers. Let these words be the last you hear before you die, 'This ends the merfolk rein! Let it be known that demons now rule the land and the sea!'"  
  
With wide, teary eyes, the MerKing listened to his words. Then, his body relaxed and with a final look out towards his fallen kingdom, his eyes closed, and he died.  
  
Naraku turned to his insects and called, "Search every inch of the coral palace, find the Shikon No Tama and bring it to me!" Then, he sped away towards the surface; his lungs had long since been burning for oxygen.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The escaped Merfolk had made it to the end of the underground tunnel. Now, they all swam for their lives. Some traveled to the surface, to search for lost family members. Other's headed towards the south, into the Land of Frozen Waters. The bravest of the group, found the nearest covering and waited for the warriors to return.  
  
Kagome went with his group. After swimming for about a mile, they found a rock formation that provided shelter. Along with the injured, sick, and old she and the other bold swam with hopeful hearts that the King and warriors would return safely. Kagome assisted the other mermaids with dressing wounds and feeding the hungry. Every chance she had, she looked over her shoulder into the deep blue water, hoping for a sign of her father, who would welcome his people back into the coral palace.  
  
As night ascended, Kagome's heart grew heavier and heavier. Her hope, diminishing. Merpeople cried out in fear, cold, and pain. She had no words of comfort for her people. Every family had lost a relative. Kagome listened to story, after story, stories of how the people had died, how the survivors had survived, or how beautiful the coral garden looked in the sunlight.  
  
Food was low, as was medical help. As day broke, over half of the merpeople who had decided to go to the shelter, had died.  
  
Kagome didn't sleep the whole night; no cheer was in the camp. All eyes were hollow and solemn. As daylight hit the camp, a group of survivors, including Kagome, met to decide the fate of the camp.  
  
Kagome didn't speak, she only listened to ideas. She wanted to keep her identity hidden, she didn't want her people to know that she was alive; it might cause the enemy to come after them again.  
  
Few wanted to return, and see if any warriors survived. Others wanted to go to the Dark Waters and meet up with the Shadow Merfolk there.  
  
There were many breeds of merfolk. They mostly got their names by their location. Kagome's people, the Merfolk of the Clear Waters, were perhaps the noblest of them all. Their blood was the strongest, and they held the highest power among the other groups of merfolk.  
  
Other breeds included the Merfolk of the Pearl Canyon, the Shadow Merfolk, and the Merfolk of the Arctic. Each civilization was ruled over by rich, aristocratic families, but all the rich, had to answer to the King.  
  
The Shadow Merfolk was perhaps the most violent breed. They had long since adapted to the dangerous waters, and ruled with an iron fist. They sought the companionship of the water demons, and rode the creatures around with pride and admiration. They lived where the water was deep and gloomy, the Dark Waters. They could offer the greatest amount of protection to the survivors now.  
  
Kagome hoped the group wouldn't vote to go there. The Dark Waters were the home of few water demons, as well as many of Kagome's suitors. Word would probably reach the Shadow Merfolk there, anyway, and they may send a search party to round up survivors.  
  
Suddenly, commotion began rise up in camp. The council dispatched. Word spread like wildfire, a single warrior had returned! He was badly injured and near death.  
  
He was gently led into the center of camp, his wounds were cared for, but his wounds were strange and unknown, a secret substance seemed to be killing them. The enemy had used an oxidized poison in order to kill the warriors.  
  
Kagome couldn't get through the crowd of merpeople to see the warrior. She was pushed away, but she continued to fight her way. Shouts rang out, as the warrior spoke of what he had seen. People asked the young man if he had seen any of their lost family members, if they were alive. But he knew nothing of individuals. He told of the attack on the wall, the breaking of the wall, and the fall of the front line.  
  
Finally, Kagome had to know. She grasped the Sacred Jewel around her neck and spoke at the top of her voice.  
  
"THE KING, WHAT BECAME OF THE KING?!?" she screamed.  
  
The gathered crowd fell silent. They slowly allowed Kagome to slip through them, and she knelt in front of the wounded warrior. Grasping his hand, she comforted him.  
  
Kagome spoke softer now, "Tell me... what became of him?" she asked the merman.  
  
The merman looked into her eyes, which sparkled with hope. He could not bear the feeling of lying to this mermaid. His voice cracked as he spoke to her, "He did not survive..."  
  
Tears fell from Kagome's cheeks; she pulled her head away, and shook with sadness. The warrior looked puzzled at her strong emotion.  
  
"Did...did he...die...with honor?!?" Kagome sobbed.  
  
The merman now knew, "Yes, he faced the enemy, he fought courageously. For love of his people, for all our souls."  
  
Kagome smiled weakly, "Thank you..."  
  
The warrior gazed at her and answered, "You're welcome, Princess."  
  
The surrounding crowd gave a sharp gasp. Kagome dropped the warrior's hand, as he was led off for medical care. She rose and looked out over the crowd. Murmurs passed through out the crowd,  
  
"Princess?"  
  
"Yes, Princess Kagome..."  
  
"Daughter of King Yuu..."  
  
"...no it can't be, she was in the palace when..."  
  
"... it was hit..."  
  
"...she died..."  
  
"...but she is here."  
  
"She survived."  
  
"Impossible..."  
  
"It's a miracle..."  
  
Kagome looked over the faces of her people. They had been through enough. Perhaps this had been all her fault. The demons wanted the Jewel, she had the Jewel. She was now their leader, she had to keep them safe. She had to do what was best for them. Although she didn't want to... she was now obligated to.  
  
"My people, we now know the truth... our warriors have been defeated. My father, your King, is dead. We are a lost race. We have no choice... we must go where it's safe."  
  
Kagome dreaded her next words; she hovered in the center of the survivors, fighting a battle within her own heart. She had to do what was right. Time no longer mattered, only life. She took a deep breath and spoke again, her words rained down like stones on her people.  
  
"The waters of the coral beds have and will always be... our home. But their clear waters have caused us a... a devastating loss. We must, therefore, travel into the Dark Waters.  
  
There is a merman there,... you all know him as Kouga...who as offered me his hand in marriage... I will except is offer... for your safety in return. There, we can start anew and forget this nightmare."  
  
Her heart sunk with the hearts of others, but they knew she was right. With the feeling of dishonor, they would retreat and try and to forget.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ok that's chapter 11... chapter 12 is coming very soon... like in the next 5 minutes... lol 


	13. Chapter 12

Inuyasha reached the hill, just as the sun began to set. Nothing but dark shadows could be seen, he was still, in the middle of nowhere. From the top, he watched as the sliver of sunlight disappeared behind the line of trees.  
  
The sky was empty, nothing but still, quiet stars.  
  
Inuyasha looked down at his hands, they were no longer claws; just normal, ugly human fingers. His acute sense of smell hearing drifted away. His silver locks, disappeared under a head a black hair.  
  
The forest grew dull, and even became slightly frightening, now that he didn't know what lurked in the underbrush.  
  
Kikyou's arrow wound leaked his energy. His pathetic human body couldn't withstand the loss of blood. Inuyasha felt lightheaded and weak. The ground swirled and twisted under his eyes. His knees shook and he gripped trees to stand up straight under the dizziness.  
  
As he climbed down the hill, his legs gave way under him. He stumbled down the side of the hill; then finally, he fell down- rolling head over heels, head over heels until the ground leveled out. He landed heavy on the ground, too tired to even feel pain. As his head continued to spin, Inuyasha drifted into sub-consciousness.  
  
~*~  
  
Over an hour passed, as his body lost more blood.  
  
The smell of blood reached another nose, which followed the scent. The creature found the human Inuyasha, unconscious, and half dead. With help, Inuyasha was picked up from his grave, and carried through the forest.  
  
Inuyasha briefly remembered waking up, feeling the wind on his face, and a slight noise that sounded like a "hang on..." But he passed out again.  
  
~*~  
  
Many hours later, Inuyasha woke again. This time, he stayed awake, his eyes opened and he looked up at a wooden roof.  
  
Inuyasha sat up slightly, but a pain in his chest pulled him back down. There was a small doorway to his right, and night shown through. It was still night of the new moon, and he was still human.  
  
With a moan, Inuyasha brought a human girl's face in the doorway. She rushed to his side, holding a cup to his mouth.  
  
"Drink." She told him softly.  
  
Inuyasha obeyed, and swallowed a mouthful of the liquid. When his brain realized that it was water, he began to gulp down mouthful after mouthful. The water was sweeter than honey on his dry throat.  
  
Inuyasha began to stir when he finished drinking; he kicked out under the blanket that was covering him.  
  
The girl spoke to him again, "Be still, or you'll open your wound again."  
  
Inuyasha slightly growled, but obeyed, and tried to relax.  
  
"You're lucky I found you..." the girl continued. But Inuyasha wasn't paying attention. He hated being weak and feeble. That's probably why Sesshomaru liked to pick on him, because he was so puny.  
  
"Can you eat?" the girl asked, holding up a bowl of rice. Inuyasha took it greedily, and began to scarf it down. When it was empty, Inuyasha handed it back to the girl. Then he turned over and lay with his back to her.  
  
The last thing he wanted to do was sleep, but sleep seemed inevitable.  
  
~*~  
  
After about an hour of lying with his eyes half open, Inuyasha rolled over. His eyes met another set, as well as a pair of white teeth and a low, deep growl. Inuyasha jumped awake, and gave a slight yell. He sat up quickly, causing his chest to burn. The growling creature jumped back and roared at him.  
  
Inuyasha noticed that it was a small cat demon, he growled back at it.  
  
With a puff of smoke, the little cat youkai transformed into its bigger self. With a roar, it lunged toward Inuyasha. Inuyasha jumped out of the way, and rolled to the other side of the hut.  
  
Inuyasha suddenly heard a female voice yell out, "Down Kirara! Down!" The cat youkai instantly obeyed, but it continued to emit a growl at Inuyasha.  
  
The girl looked down at Inuyasha, "I'm sorry about that, she doesn't like strangers. You're lucky you're not a youkai, then she probably would have ripped your head off... but come to think of it... so would I." She laughed at her little joke, and extended her hand.  
  
"You really shouldn't be up, you could open your wound again." she spoke to him.  
  
"Feh." Inuyasha only said back. He knew he recognized the cat youkai, this was the same pair that had attacked him yesterday.  
  
"Fine if that's the way you're going to be. You can just pass out again, and I'll go dump your body in the woods where I found it." She countered.  
  
Inuyasha stood up gently and walked back over to the cot. He sat down and looked at the floor.  
  
The woman stared at him, but then shook it off. She sat down on the floor filled a cup with water, and handed it to Inuyasha.  
  
"What happened anyway?" she asked him.  
  
Inuyasha just drank the water and didn't answer.  
  
"Not a talker huh? You could at least thank me for saving you and offering you my hospitality." The girl said.  
  
"Feh. Thanks." Inuyasha muttered.  
  
The girl just rolled her eyes and stood up again, "The sun will be up soon. And when it does please go and take a bath or something. You smell like muck."  
  
Inuyasha had to agree, he probably did smell bad. The girl got up to leave and the cat youkai followed her, "I'm Sango, by the way..."  
  
"Inuyasha." He answered with a low voice.  
  
"Well, Inuyasha get some rest, tomorrow we will talk more..." Sango answered.  
  
"I need to know how to get to the Western Lands." Inuyasha interrupted.  
  
Sango turned and looked at him, "Where in the Western Lands?"  
  
"The castle." Inuyasha said.  
  
"What for?" Sango asked.  
  
"None of your business." Inuyasha growled.  
  
Sango frowned, "You have a rotten attitude. I don't feel like answering your question." she turned and began to walk out.  
  
"Look," Inuyasha shouted back to her, "I just want to get home. Is it so much to ask of you to give me directions? Considering I have no idea where I am or how I got here?"  
  
Sango turned to back and gazed at him, "Well, Inuyasha, you're certainly far away from your home. These are the Eastern Lands, to get to the Western Lands you would probably need to pack a lunch... they are a good 30 days walk over rough terrain and demon infested lands. Yet, the Western Lands have the highest demon population in the world, so if you live there, then, you must be pretty used to them."  
  
Inuyasha scowled. "Just tell me how to get there."  
  
"There is no 'way' to get there Inuyasha. You head west, until you get killed by youkai." Sango told him.  
  
"I'm not worried about youkai." Inuyasha growled back.  
  
"Then how do you plan to get there? You have no weapon, you're injured, and you're alone." Sango explained.  
  
"Feh" Inuyasha answered.  
  
"You're crazy." Sango protested, and left him alone.  
  
Inuyasha ignored the girl's comment and settled back down on the cot.  
  
The girl was obviously a demon huntress. Inuyasha knew that when the sun comes up... her hospitality would change toward him. Perhaps he should take advantage of the time alone and slip away.  
  
But the bandage around his wound reminded him of his weakened condition. Furthermore, Sango was right, he didn't have any kind of weaponry, and he was alone. Yet, he had always been alone. No one cared if he was alive or dead. And now it seemed that Sesshomaru wanted him dead, or at least gone.  
  
All this, because he was a hanyou. It made no sense. Everyone treated him different: humans hated him because he was half demon and demons hated him because he was half human.  
  
Perhaps he was better off alone. Inuyasha could only trust himself right now, and even that relationship was becoming stressed.  
  
Inuyasha glanced out of the doorway; the sun would rise soon. He wished for more time.  
  
He stood back up and walked to the doorway, 'Might as well get a head start.' He decided.  
  
With slow, careful steps he left the safety of the hut and started down the street. Luckily, the stars were still visible; he found the North Star and then turned to the west.  
  
Villagers had begun to set up and open shops, as dawn approached. The faint hum of crickets could be heard in the underbrush. Fog was low along the street, and shadows moved along the rows of homes.  
  
Inuyasha placed his hands in his pockets as he walked down the lifeless street. As his hands reached deep into his pockets, his fingers touched something familiar.  
  
Inuyasha stopped walking and slowly lifted the object out of his pocket. When his eyes hit it, and his brain recognized it, a smile rose across his face.  
  
It was the spatice that Kagome had given him, years ago. Inuyasha forgot that he always carried it with him. The spatice was a small little sponge- like toy; when filled with water, it doubled in size, and could bounce high into the air.  
  
Inuyasha held the deflated spatice in his hand. He remembered his mermaid friend Kagome, possibly his only friend. She probably thought he was neglecting her, since he hadn't shown up to say 'hi' in over a week. Actually, the last time he saw her, was right before Sesshomaru tried to kill him. Inuyasha began to think about the mermaid, how she always knew the right thing to say, how she had taught him how to swim, how she collected that pile of junk under the dock, how she...  
  
Inuyasha felt something brush against his hand, pry his fingers open, and then disappear. Inuyasha stared blankly at his empty hand before he realized that he had been robbed, and then his head returned to reality.  
  
"Hey you, give that back!" he shouted as he watched a little brown ball of fluff scamper away into the fog with his spatice.  
  
Inuyasha began to run after the thief, "You ass hole! Get back here with that!" he growled.  
  
He chased the fluff ball back into the village, the little creature moved fast and Inuyasha, in his human form, could barely keep up. The fluff ball was a good ten feet ahead of him, when it suddenly kicked into overdrive and disappeared down the road, leaving a trial of dust.  
  
Inuyasha stared dumbfounded at the little things speed. He couldn't let the thief get away with Kagome's gift!  
  
...a crack of sunlight appeared over the horizon...  
  
Inuyasha's eyes narrowed, his mind focused on his objective. His feet griped the ground and his mouth turned into a sneer, his fangs hung out.  
  
Inuyasha charged forward, his senses returned to him. His nose picked up the smell of the fur ball. His ears closed in on his location. Inuyasha's eyes saw the fur ball in front of him.  
  
The creature had decreased its speed, thinking it had lost Inuyasha, but with a look over its shoulder he realized that was not so.  
  
"Eeep!" he cried, and began to run again.  
  
Inuyasha noticed it, "Heh, your not getting away this time!" he sneered.  
  
The fur ball noticed Inuyasha closing in. He ran his fastest. But Inuyasha was faster. Now, back to his hanyou form, he scooped up the fur ball with his clawed hands and shouted at it.  
  
"Hand it over you thief!" he roared.  
  
"Hand what over?" it squeaked back.  
  
"The thing you stole from me! My spatice!"  
  
"I don't have your spa...spat... whatever you want!" the tiny fur ball spoke.  
  
"Liar! Maybe I'll just remove a few of you limbs first!" Inuyasha growled, as he showed the fur ball his clawed hands.  
  
The fur ball began to shake, his guy meant business. He dug into the pockets of his little blue jacket and held out the spatice for Inuyasha, with a quivering paw.  
  
Inuyasha snatched it from his hand, and then dropped the fluff ball, hard, on the ground.  
  
"Pain in the ass..." he growled under his breath, as he pocketed the spatice. Inuyasha then glanced around him. The pair had caused quite a commotion and now many people had crowded around and stared at him.  
  
Inuyasha grew tense as they all formed a circle around him. He could hear them murmur words like: "youkai" and "demon." Inuyasha guessed that he was not welcomed anymore, so he looked for a way out. The crowd was thick and more humans appeared every minute.  
  
Inuyasha resisted the temptation to jump out and yell, "Boo!" But these people were seriously freaking him out.  
  
Suddenly, Inuyasha heard a familiar roar, the crowds faces turned in the direction. And cheers rose up, as Sango appeared ridding her cat Youkai across the air. She swung her Hiratsu and it flung towards Inuyasha.  
  
'Shit, not this again...' he thought as he dodged the boomerang.  
  
"DIE DEMON!" she roared, as Kirara charged toward Inuyasha with its claws ready to strike.  
  
Inuyasha dodged the attack yet again. This was getting old, their attack pattern were too predictable. Yet, all the jumping around would probably cause his wound to open again... if it hadn't already.  
  
Sango recaught her boomerang, jumped off of Kirara's back, and landed on the ground. With a grunt she heaved her boomerang back into the air, drew a sword and charged toward Inuyasha again.  
  
'Geez, she doesn't give up does she?' Inuyasha thought as he watched her weapons fly at him in all directions. He hated to have to hit her, since she had been so nice to him; but this girl was out to kill him.  
  
With another fast jump, he missed her boomerang's sneak attack from behind. He landed on top of the roof of a hut, as Sango recaught her boomerang and Kirara joined her.  
  
"What do you have against me Sango? Geez!" he roared.  
  
Sango paused in a mid throw of her boomerang, her eyes widened, "How do you know my name youkai?!?" She roared.  
  
Inuyasha rolled his eyes, "Look, it's me Inuyasha..." he said.  
  
Sango sneered, "Liar! Inuyasha is injured and he's..." Suddenly, she remembered.  
  
"Wait...you couldn't have known about Inuyasha..."  
  
Inuyasha rolled his eyes again, 'Maybe she should have blonde hair...' he grumbled to himself.  
  
Sango looked confused, but she still remained poised for attack. Inuyasha took a deep breath and spoke, "Ok, I'm not full youkai... only half... and on every new moon... the other blood takes over until sunrise."  
  
"...a hanyou?" Sango asked.  
  
Inuyasha growled, he hated that word. "Yes, a hanyou..." he agreed.  
  
Sango still didn't give in, "I don't know if I should trust you." She spoke.  
  
"Feh, I wouldn't trust me either. But, all I want is to leave now, so just let me pass. And I'll be out of your hair." Inuyasha yelled back down to her.  
  
Sango slightly relaxed, "But your wound..." she said.  
  
Inuyasha stared at her, 'why did she care?' he wondered. "It's fine." He spoke, getting irritated.  
  
"Fine," Sango countered, "good luck with your life." And she strapped her boomerang to her back and turned to walk away.  
  
Inuyasha jumped down off of the roof. He landed on the ground and looked around. His nose could smell the smells of breakfast. His stomach echoed with a growl.  
  
"Get going hanyou." Sango shouted to him. Inuyasha ignored her and tried to forget the roar of his stomach.  
  
"Look hanyou, do you want something to eat before your journey, because you're kind of foaming at the mouth there." Sango teased.  
  
Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders, 'Feh, why not?' he decided. He followed Sango back to the hut he had stayed at the night before.  
  
As they approached the hut, Inuyasha could smell a fire, and the smell of rice cooking. He glanced around, and noticed a man sitting by Sango's doorway. The man sat with his legs crossed and a staff balanced across his knees.  
  
As Inuyasha and Sango walked up, his head lifted and he rushed to Sango's side.  
  
"Sango my love, I have prepared your morning breakfast, just the way you like it." His arm wrapped around her waist as he spoke and with every word his hand gently slipped closer and closer to her butt.  
  
Sango's eyes narrowed and with a violent slap to the face, the man fell to the ground.  
  
"Hentai!" she screamed at him.  
  
Inuyasha watched the sight and then gave a slight laugh.  
  
Sango walked over the fallen pervert and sat down by the fire, dishing out the rice.  
  
The pervert stood up and picked up his staff, he brushed his hair back and smiled, "Always worth it." He spoke to himself, although Inuyasha picked up every word.  
  
Inuyasha walked past the man and stood a little distance away until Sango handed him a bowl of rice, then he sat down, and ate with haste.  
  
Inuyasha heard the sound of wind chimes; he looked up from his bowl to see the man pointing his staff directly at him.  
  
Inuyasha swallowed his mouthful of rice and snarled at him, 'what was he gonna achieve with that thing?' he wondered.  
  
The man shouted to Inuyasha, "Demon! You will wish you never set foot in this town!" He reached up to his right hand (Authors Note: I can't remember which hand Miroku has his wind tunnel in... so I'm guessing his right hand.) and started to remove the rosary beads and fabric around his palm.  
  
Sango jumped up from her seat and stopped him, "its ok Miroku! Inuyasha is a friend. He won't harm us!"  
  
Miroku looked at Sango out of the corner of his eye, then back at Inuyasha who still sat eating his rice without a worry. Miroku relaxed, but he still kept his staff pointed at Inuyasha.  
  
Inuyasha looked up again, and with a wave of his clawed hand, he pushed the staff away from in front of him. "Get that stupid thing out of my face." He growled back.  
  
Miroku was shocked by the rude behavior and frowned on him. Sango chimed in, "I said he was a friend... I didn't say he was polite." She pulled on Miroku's arm and he backed off.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Ok... that's chapter 12... Chapter 13 is on the way... I originally was going to make chapter 11 like this huge 10,000 word chapter... but I decided to split it up... so yea... I'll upload chapter 13 now... it will open with the same scene... Inuyasha with Sango and Miroku. 


	14. Chapter 13

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Hello to Everyone, my computer is acting up and I don't know what's wrong... so it's taking forever to upload chapters... plus fanfiction is really busy at the moment and I keep getting a busy server... so just be patient... thanks ; )  
  
~*~  
  
After about an hour, fifteen bowls of rice, and two more slaps from Sango to Miroku later, Inuyasha decided he was ready to leave this wacky village. Sango stopped him, "How are you planning on getting to the Western Lands?"  
  
"Just head west from here, I guess." Inuyasha said.  
  
"Why do you want to go to the Western Lands?" Miroku asked.  
  
"I have my reasons..." Inuyasha said.  
  
Miroku frowned at Inuyasha's comment. "Youkai trash." Miroku muttered under his breath.  
  
"I heard that." Inuyasha said coldly.  
  
"Well I'm glad; I did say it pretty loud!" Miroku snapped.  
  
Inuyasha's eyes flashed and he stared at Miroku directly in the eyes, Miroku stared back and they both had a stare down. Each one trying not to blink. The hate looks lasted for over ten minutes.  
  
Sango rolled her eyes at the boys. She broke it up by asking Inuyasha another question, "What brings you all the way out here then?"  
  
"I was knocked out and dumped out here." Inuyasha answered.  
  
"Oh damn, by who? Sango asked.  
  
Inuyasha didn't feel like telling his whole life story to a bunch of strangers, especially not a demon huntress. "No one worth talking about." He remarked.  
  
"Stabbed at your pride did he?" Miroku said.  
  
Inuyasha sneered, "Shut your mouth, before I do!"  
  
A few feet away a little fluff ball stood watching the fight. His eyes glowed as he looked at Inuyasha's pocket.  
  
"You and what army?" Miroku snapped, standing up.  
  
Inuyasha stood up as well, and they both eyed each other. "I could kill you with one hand... no both hands tied behind my back!" Inuyasha roared.  
  
The fluff ball snuck up closer to the group, he wad determined to get the object in Inuyasha's pocket.  
  
"Boys stop it!" Sango called.  
  
"Shut up!" Inuyasha yelled to her.  
  
The puff ball was only about a foot away; in a burst of speed he could pick- pocket Inuyasha and be gone.  
  
"You can't talk to my Sango like that!" Miroku roared at Inuyasha.  
  
'I'll count to three...' the fluff ball told himself. 'One...'  
  
Sango's eyebrow twitched, she stood up, and "I'm not 'your Sango!'" she yelled at Miroku.  
  
'...two...'  
  
"You know, you both make a good couple." Inuyasha mocked.  
  
Miroku stood up proudly, Sango rolled her eyes.  
  
"Sango is going to bear my children..." Miroku spoke proudly.  
  
"I am NOT!" she yelled, as she struck him on the back of the head. Miroku fell to the ground, twitching, "Pervert." She mumbled.  
  
'THREE!'  
  
The fluff ball dashed towards Inuyasha's pocket; with quick fingers he worked the spatice out from beneath the deep pocket.  
  
Inuyasha felt something hit him; he looked down and saw the same fluffy thief digging through his pocket.  
  
"You!!" Inuyasha roared. The puff ball looked up at him with scared eyes. Before he could move, Inuyasha grabbed his tail and held him in a death grip.  
  
The tiny creature held Inuyasha's spatice in his quivering paws, as he felt himself get yanked into the air.  
  
Inuyasha held the fluff ball directly in front of his gaze. With his other hand he placed it flat out below the creature's paws.  
  
"Drop it..." he said viciously.  
  
The tiny creature gave a slight whine, but dropped the spatice into Inuyasha's awaiting hand. With a sharp whack to the head, Inuyasha dumped the creature to the ground.  
  
Sango, and a recovered Miroku, stood looking at Inuyasha, and the creature that he had just thrown to the ground.  
  
"Little thief..." Inuyasha muttered.  
  
The small creature lay on the ground, but then sat up, and let out a cry with a waterfall of tears, "Why can't I have it? I want it! I want it!"  
  
Sango ran over to the tiny creature and held it in her arms. She looked up at Inuyasha with a cold stare.  
  
"Why don't you let the poor kit have it?" she asked.  
  
"Because it's MINE!" Inuyasha roared.  
  
"He just wants to play..." Sango tried.  
  
"Do he doesn't he wants to steal it, just as he tried to do before!" Inuyasha said.  
  
The tiny kit recovered and jumped up onto Sango's shoulder to stare at Inuyasha in the face. "What's so special about that thing anyway?" it squeaked.  
  
Inuyasha growled, "It was a gift... a gift from a friend." He said. His eyes glanced down at the spatice in his palm, his mind remembered Kagome. His mind flashed to times in his childhood when he and Kagome used to play together. A slight smile formed at the corners of his mouth.  
  
Miroku came up behind Sango, reached out with a quick hand and grabbed the spatice, he held it up in front of him, looking at it with an odd glance.  
  
Inuyasha fumed at him, "Give that back!"  
  
"Shut up hanyou. I'm just looking at it!" Miroku said, "Didn't your parents ever teach you to share?"  
  
Inuyasha was caught without anything to say.  
  
"...it's made out of some kind of sponge..." Miroku explained, turning the spatice over with his fingers.  
  
Even Sango looked interested in the object. She poked at it with a cautious finger, "What is this thing? Some kind of ball?" she asked.  
  
Inuyasha growled, "It's a spatice. A kind of toy; when filled with water, it will grow bigger and bounce high." He explained.  
  
"Oh now fun!" the kit cried out.  
  
Miroku still looked at the object over; he glanced from the spatice to Inuyasha and back again. "This isn't from our world is it?" he finally asked.  
  
Inuyasha looked at him with a suspicious look, "What do you mean?"  
  
"Where did you get this, hanyou? It's like nothing I've ever seen. This kind of sponge doesn't grow on land, or in any kind of fresh water lake. I specifically know that this kind of sponge only grows in the deep depths of the Great Ocean." Miroku continued.  
  
Inuyasha snatched his spatice back from Miroku and looked at the ground. Miroku didn't give up, "What kind of friend gave this to you?"  
  
"None of you business." Inuyasha snapped.  
  
Miroku gave up, it wasn't worth the trouble. But, now, Sango was interested. She looked at Inuyasha and said, "Come on, Inuyasha, how did you get this? Or better yet, how did the person who gave it to you get it?"  
  
Inuyasha ignored her, "She's just a good swimmer." He mumbled, and walked away. Sango rolled her eyes. But Miroku now understood, he whispered to Sango, "It's from a woman, probably a gift to remember her by."  
  
Inuyasha looked over his shoulder at Miroku, as he heard every word. "Is that what you think how I got it?" he asked.  
  
Miroku looked confident, "Yes I do indeed."  
  
"Well you're wrong." Inuyasha mocked.  
  
Miroku shook his head, "I'm never wrong when it comes to women." He answered. "I bet you loved this girl, but then society tore you apart. You were sent here against your will, so that the two of you wouldn't fall further in love, because she was supposed to marry another. Yes, yes, it all makes perfect sense."  
  
Inuyasha ignored the monk's stupid prophecy.  
  
"That's so romantic, hanyou" Sango said. "And to think I thought you had no heart."  
  
Inuyasha growled, "Shut the fuck up! I do not love Kagome!"  
  
Miroku smirked, "Ohh... so her name is Kagome huh? Hmm, Kagome... sounds like someone I'd love to meet."  
  
Inuyasha felt like he was surrounded by stupidity. He gave a harsh gesture and continued to walk away.  
  
Miroku ran up and stood in front of him. His eyes where wide with excitement, "And now the star-crossed lover seeks to return and reclaim his forbidden love. Even though he knows his effort will fail, because she is betrothed to another, but that will not stop his heart..."  
  
Inuyasha balled up his fists and spoke with a dangerous tone, "Get the hell out of my way you stupid monk..." But Miroku continued with his tale, "...you want to rescue her from the tallest tower and carry her off to make glorious love to her..."  
  
With that, Inuyasha gave Miroku a shove that sent him crashing to the ground. Miroku looked up toward Inuyasha with a half smile on his face, "I really hit the nail on the head, didn't I, hanyou?"  
  
Inuyasha pulled his fist back to hit him again, but he let it go. The sex- crazed monk had no idea what he was talking about. Inuyasha just wanted to leave this crazy town and all its psycho inhabitants.  
  
"Hey hanyou, wait!" he heard the monk call. But he continued to walk away. 'I'm not listening... not listening... not listening...' he told himself.  
  
Miroku caught up with him again and stood in front of him. "Wait! I want to give you something...just a second... wait here..." He dashed off into the village.  
  
Inuyasha shut his eyes, and gave a slow count of ten in his head to calm his nerves. He could hear Sango come up behind him. She stood next to him, the little kit still on her shoulder.  
  
"Hey hanyou, Shippo wants to say something to you..." Sango said.  
  
"Who the fuck is Shippo?" Inuyasha growled.  
  
"I am," the kit thief answered, "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry that I tried to steal the spatice from you... I didn't know that is meant so much to you."  
  
Inuyasha rolled his eyes.  
  
Shippo continued, "I want to help you rescue your Kagome. I'm coming with you to the Western Lands."  
  
"Like hell you are!" Inuyasha yelled. "I don't need some annoying brat slowing me down."  
  
"I won't slow you down, I'll help. Give you some company, someone to talk too." Shippo continued.  
  
"I'd sooner talk to myself." Inuyasha muttered.  
  
"I'm coming too." Sango said.  
  
"No your... you both... are not!!" Inuyasha roared.  
  
"Try and stop us hanyou." Sango said. "We are coming with you; you'll never get there by yourself. As a group we are more likely to make it."  
  
Inuyasha was cut off. The pair wouldn't take no for an answer. "Just know that if you fall behind, I'm not coming back to help you."  
  
"I figured as much." Sango replied.  
  
"It's your funeral." Inuyasha commented.  
  
Inuyasha turned around to see Miroku running up to them. He approached Inuyasha, out of breath, but with a huge smile on his face. He held out a package wrapped with thick brown paper. "May this help you on your journey, Inuyasha. From one star-crossed lover to another."  
  
Inuyasha took the package; the brown paper fell off, revealing a long red robe and pants. Inuyasha looked at it with a cautious smile.  
  
He looked at Miroku with a puzzled look, "Clothes?" he asked.  
  
Miroku's smile grew bigger, "Not just any clothes that is The Robe of the Fire Rat. A very special garment that will protect you from being cut or stabbed."  
  
Inuyasha had to feel a little grateful, but he hid it well. He placed the robe under his arm and muttered a shallow, "thanks."  
  
But his mood quickly changed, "Alright, let's go. I've wasted enough time here." Sango smiled weakly and nodded. Shippo gave a small giggle.  
  
Miroku's face grew serious, he said, "I'm assisting you on your quest hanyou."  
  
"What?!?" Inuyasha yelled, "There is no way I'm letting a pervert like you come with me! I've already got two tag-a-longs I don't need three."  
  
"Well to bad," Miroku said, "because I'm coming with you. Someone has to keep Lady Sango safe, and besides Kagome sounds like a very interesting person."  
  
Inuyasha growled at him. "I'm not taking responsibility for any of you... if you die; it's your own fault. It won't be on my conscience."  
  
"Save it hanyou," Miroku interrupted, "Right now there is a lady in distress... and I... I mean we... must rescue her."  
  
Inuyasha rolled his eyes, "Ok, first, Kagome is not my woman. She's not even my spec..." he stopped.  
  
Miroku grabbed Inuyasha's shoulders, "don't say that! She still loves you! Her heart still longs to be with you... if you give up... so will she... we must remain strong!"  
  
Inuyasha gave up the argument. Miroku was off his rocker, he just let it go, and the story was incorrect anyway. Just a mess of Miroku's sick and perverted thoughts.  
  
Yet, Inuyasha couldn't help but wonder. Was Kagome alright? She probably will hate him because he'd been gone so long. He could picture her, swimming up to the dock... noticing that the stone wasn't in the water. Then waiting and waiting for him to come and talk. But he wouldn't show, so she would peak out of water and look for him. But the beach would be empty. Then, she would leave a small pebble on the dock, to tell him that she had been there, but left. And then, she would leave and not return until the next day. To find that he was not there again.  
  
Inuyasha shook off his thoughts. He wanted to return, so that he would seek revenge on his brother.  
  
Sesshomaru was not going to just discard him, like he was an old habit. Inuyasha would return, and show his brother... that he wasn't weak, and that he was just as much a prince as Sesshomaru was.  
  
Inuyasha nodded his head, his thoughts straight. He looked up at the sun, took a deep breath, and began to walk towards his home. His allies hung just slightly behind him. Inuyasha felt like he was finally heading somewhere, that he finally had a mission, an objective. This would be a long journey. Through lands he didn't know, into dangers that he might not be able to over come. But as long as he kept his mind set, he could achieve anything.  
  
His ears picked up a strange holler behind him, he turned to look at Sango and Miroku who called to him, "Hanyou... hey Hanyou!! West is the other way!!"  
  
Inuyasha wrinkled his nose in disgust, and growled, "I knew that." He said quickly.  
  
The group changed directions and headed out of the village.  
  
A strange site is was to behold. A hanyou leading the group, followed by a demon huntress accompanied by her cat youkai, then, bringing up the rear, with his eyes glued to the demon huntress' swaying hips and butt, a dark robed monk, carrying a small fox kit on his shoulder.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
I hope you all enjoyed this story... yes its over... for now... I am going to start a totally new story... under a new title... so look for it... I will be the sequel to Tenderness To You. It was great to hear from you all... and I will look forward to hearing from you in Book two... which will begin very soon...  
  
Just to quickly remind you of my schedule... I have AP exams coming up in a week... so that may delay Book two... but after they are over with... which is around the 12th of May... then I will be back, full force, and writing again. And of course, when summer hits... I'll be writing like crazy. So don't worry... I'll be throwing so many new things at you... you won't know what to read first... this has been great fun... I'm so happy you all enjoyed Tenderness To You.... I'm taking suggestions on what the sequel should be called... put that in your final review... the winner will be announced when I start writing the sequel... You all are awesome... keep reading... Bubye for now : ) 


	15. Author Note

Author Note:  
  
In case you all haven't noticed... I have created a sequel to this story... it's called Treasure the Time We Have... I hope you all enjoy... Oh, and if interested I have created a whole new Inuyasha story called Spirits of the Earth... check that out too ; )  
  
Love you all and thanks for making this story soo wonderfully popular  
  
WinterStormofIce 


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